Behind Closed Doors 3
by A Scribbler
Summary: So things ended on kind of a high note after the last adventure. Slender destroyed Zalgo, Jack returned home with the other Proxies and Jane is gone. Or is she? Some people return as ghosts in this world if enough Sickness is in their system... But if Jane is back then she's going to be very angry, how can you kill what's already dead? It seems there's no rest for the Proxies!
1. Changes

**A/N:**

 **Hello again people! I live and the story continues! That's right, after long last the third instalment of the 'Behind Closed Doors' series is here! I've missed you guys and I'm sorry this took so long! But with moving house, graduating and trying to find a job as well as money issues and… a hell of a lot of other stuff, time has been pretty sparse for me lately. But here it is, finally.**

 **Now just a warning that because of all the things listed above and because I'm currently maintaining my own review website, (just look for amyscribbler on wordpress if you want to take a look) updates will not be coming as frequently as in the past. So keep that in mind, real life sucks. This will also be treated as the last instalment in the series. I love these characters and I might do something small with them in the future but as for a big story, this is a trilogy and I won't be doing another huge plot with them. I'm sorry, but it's the way it has to be.**

 **Thank you all so much for your support in all of this. It really means a lot and without you guys, I probably wouldn't have finished the first story. So without further ado… Here it is. Behind Closed Doors 3!**

Some things just never change.

That was something Trixie had learned over the many months she had lived in this place with these people. The fact that she could even call them 'people' to start with without a second thought was another signal to her growing used to these things that never change. She often thought back to all the events that had taken place since she had chosen to accept this life. The murder of her family leading to her being infected with a demonic substance called Sickness, her accepting the Sickness as part of her and becoming a Proxy to the infamous Slenderman, and the constant underlay of fear as she and her fellow Proxies faced a rival demon who was intent on killing Slender and spreading Sickness wherever he pleased; Zalgo. And of course, most recently, going against what had once been a normal human girl, but had been infected so harshly by Zalgo that she had taken on the belief that he as her father, and tad been tainted with an ability from each of Slender's Proxies. Trixie was unsure what was more disturbing, going against an actual demon, or going against someone who had once been human but forever altered. Both were grim. Both were horrifying. And now both were dead.

But the difference was that where Slender had killed Zalgo to protect his Proxies and the thousands of innocents around the world, Jane had killed herself in order to get stronger. Jane had an ability from each Proxy, and by killing herself, she had become an undead entity that could not be destroyed. That of course was just a theory that had been passed between the Proxies. There was no way of confirming that this was the case, because no one had seen or heard from Jane since that night. It was as if she really was dead. But the thought still lingered around them, and Slender was always on the search for unnatural Sickness activity. Although they had not heard anything, they were cautious. After all, the last time someone let their guard down, it hadn't gone so well.

Trixie was baring witness to this now as she sat on the edge of the bed in Jack's room. Out of everyone, he had bared the most damage from the last confrontation. For he had given up his true name, the most valuable and dangerous thing a Proxy can own, to Zalgo, thus giving up his free will. He'd been forced to do terrible things while under Zalgo's control, and as he was so young, barely fifteen, his mind had almost crumbled from strain. So much so, that he had given up his name to Trixie in hopes of redeeming himself and earning freedom. And now that it was all over, for the most part at least, Jack had achieved this. But he was so young, and his mind wasn't able to handle most of the strain. It was a long recovery process, but with help he was getting there. But the other still had to sleep in shifts in order to keep an eye on him. Now, it was Trixie's turn.

She furrowed her brow and rubbed her eyes from fatigue. It was gone three in the morning and Jack hadn't stirred as much as usual, which she took as a sign that he was improving. She desperately wanted to sleep, but she doubted she'd be able to even if she were curled up in her own bed. The lingering worry that Jane, ghost or not, could jump out at any moment haunted her. And what was worse, was that it was entirely possible. She shook her head to try and wake herself up, failing. In fact it wasn't until Jack broke his calm streak and starting whimpering that she became alert.

Jack's icy-blue completion became tinted with red where he was struggling with tears. Sobs sluggishly escaped his throat as his body twitched haggardly. Slowly, his blind eyes clenched shut and started leaking a thick black ooze that stained his cheeks. He was struggling, trapped in a nightmare that he couldn't even escape by waking up. Trixie felt more than sympathy for the boy, she felt protective. He'd become like her shadow around he hideout since that night, unless someone more capable of protecting him was around like Kate or Slender. But when he needed a hug or some soft words, she was one of two people who would quickly comply. She touched the top of his head and spoke gently, trying to cover the slight quiver of worry for his sake.

"Jack, come on it's alright..." She whispered.

The boy continued to sob, shaking his head harshly at her touch, thinking one of the images from his mind were breaking through, "N-No... Don't... Don't want t-to hurt... Anymore..."

"You're not hurting anyone," She assured, "You're back home with Slender and me and... Jack, wake up, please?"

She shook his shoulder softly, making him tremble a little more before he jolted violently. Sitting bolt upright and shuffling away from her, feeling blindly until he was tucked in on himself in the corner of his bed against the wall. His black eyes were wide, his sobs becoming silent but the tears didn't stop. Jack panted heavily, beads of sweat on his pale blue skin, "Wuh... I d-don't-"

"Easy, easy," She hushed, reaching forward and taking his hands and bringing them to her face, so that he could paint the image of her in his head and recognise that he was with someone he knew. Sometimes it didn't work and he would scratch her from fear, but it was a small price to pay when he would calm down not too long later.

Shakily, his fingers brushed over her cheeks and eyelids, working down her nose and chin until he would let his hands drop at his sides. He trembled, he was scared, but he knew this person, "T-Trixie?"

"You're alright, Jack," She assured, "Um... What happened?"

She knew the answer, it was always the same, but he liked to talk about it every time, so that he could be told it wasn't real, "Zalgo... a-and Jane." He sniffed, "They were making me hurt you and the o-others... I-I didn't want to! I'm sorry I didn't mean it I-"

"Shh, shh, it's alright," She moved in closer and put an arm around him, trying not to take offence when he flinched, "It was just a nightmare. Remember? Zalgo's gone and-"

"But Jane might not be!"

"We don't know that," She insisted. But who was she kidding? She was just as scared as he was that Jane was still out there and coming for them, "And Slender's still here looking after us. That counts for something, right?"

He sniffed, and cautiously shuffled closer to her, "I-I don't want to hurt anyone again..."

She tried putting her arm around him again, and although he still flinched, he didn't move away, so she eased him into an awkward hug. It reminded her of when her younger brother was very small, and alive, and how she'd offer a shoulder to lean on if he was ever scared. Which wasn't often since he used to be as free-spirited as Toby, but the feeling still lingered. She hugged him, "You won't. Because you're stronger than that now."

"Don't say that..." He muttered, resting his head on her shoulder, "It's not true."

"I think it is. Maybe you just need a little more sleep and you'll believe it to?" She smiled for his sake.

Jack was about to answer, but a soft knock at the door interrupted him and made him cling to Trixie tighter. She returned the gesture to offer him comfort before addressing the new arrival. But who was walking around at three in the morning? "Um... Hello?"

The door opened and an elegant looking woman stood in the doorway. Slim with pure white skin and hair that hung past her waist. Her eyes, a bloody red, looked on at them warmly and sympathetically. When she spoke, it was with a heavy French accent and a mothering air, "What happened, petite?"

Rochelle, it was hard not to recognise her. In fact it was hard for Trixie not to remember the entire of Rochelle's story. It was just so... bizarre. How she and Slender were... together? Was that the right word? She didn't really know or feel it her place to ask too many questions. But what she did know was that there had been a misunderstanding when Rochelle had once saved Slender's life years and years ago, and he in return has locked her away in a cursed hotel room in order to protect her from harm again. It only after the cruel events of his and the Proxies last fight, did Slender finally have the courage to swallow his fear and pride to return to her, and set her free. Now she stayed in the hideout with them, not as a Proxy, but as... Well again, Trixie didn't like to ask too many questions. But she did like Rochelle. It was almost like having a... It didn't matter.

"Shh, shh, it's Rochelle, it's okay," Trixie hushed, giving Jack a small squeeze before offering Rochelle a weak smile, "Another nightmare."

"Oh, Slender did say that he sensed something of a disturbance here," She nodded and joined them in the room, cupping Jack's cheek and smoothing away the black tears, not caring that it was staining her skin slightly, "You're safe, petite."

Jack twitched at first, but slowly tilted his head into her hand. He didn't say anything, he just sniffed and sat there still. Trixie looked up at Rochelle, still unsure how to act around her in the short time they'd met, "He's getting easier to calm down now."

"He is a good boy," Rochelle commented with a warm smile, "Slender is arriving soon, to make sure that our petite is not under too much strain before sleeping again."

Trixie nodded. It wasn't unusual for Slender to be extra cautious whenever a Proxy was under mental strain. After all the additional Sickness they'd been exposed to, it was better to be safe than sorry, "Yeah, good idea."

Rochelle seemed to pick up on Trixie's unease and chuckled lightly, "You look so tired, petite... Why not go and get some sleep?"

Hell yes did Trixie want to do that, her eyes were practically burning, "I still have a few more hours of watch before-"

"Go and sleep, Trixie," She insisted, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You forget, I do not sleep."

Oh, right, the dead don't sleep. She should have remembered that by the amount of times she'd been trolled by Ben in the middle of the night... "I can't ask you to take over though, it wouldn't be fair."

"Slender will not object," She added knowingly, "I'll make sure of that. Also, I think he wishes to have more job sketches from you tomorrow and you need your rest."

"Ah... Right..." Trixie sighed, which quickly turned into a yawn. Her drawings had become more and more useful since that night. They were good at tracking the most Sickness influenced of areas, "Um... Are you sure?" She really wanted to sleep, especially knowing that she'd need it. But she felt bad putting the pressure on Rochelle and leaving Jack.

"Oui, petite. You worry too much."

That was true. She gave Rochelle a grateful smile and stood up with her, "Thanks, Rochelle. I owe you."

"Merci, petite," Rochelle smiled, leaning in and giving her a small hug.

"Oh, um-" Trixie never knew how to react to this. It was just strange being the one comforted for once, especially by someone she barely knew. But she awkwardly returned the gesture and put on a smile, "Are you sure you're alright here?"

"Oui, Trixie. If that's okay with you, petite?"

Jack nodded and settled back down into bed. Trixie gave him one last touch on the shoulder before smiling tiredly at Rochelle, "Okay, Um... Night."

"Goodnight, petite."

* * *

Not long after Trixie left to collapse from fatigue, Jack soon found himself sound asleep once again with Rochelle sitting on the edge of the bed and smoothing his hair softly. Her unbeating heart went out to the poor boy. To suffer so much at so young. She sighed, silently praying to whatever higher being there was that the boy would be happy again someday. He deserved some happiness in his life. Since coming to live in this place, to once again be reunited with her Slender, she had wanted to be of some use to the Proxies. To help them in whatever way she could. She supposed that after being locked up for so long, without any interaction, she was making up for lost time.

 _How is he...?_

Rochelle looked up suddenly at the deeper, steady voice that echoed into her head from the doorway. There he was, Slender. His expressionless, blank face looked on at them with an air of curiousness and concern. She beckoned him closer, "He is calmer now. Trixie has done well at comforting him these past few weeks."

 _I've noticed... Where is Beatrix by the way...?_

"I sent her back to bed to sleep, the poor girl was almost asleep herself. I hope that is okay, mon cher?"

Slender brushed a strand of her hair from her face and nodded, _Of course...I apologise, I did not know she was under such strain..._

"No need to apologise, cher, everyone is on edge..." She tilted her head into his hand, "Have... Have you found anything new about Jane or-"

 _No... No, I haven't... We don't even know if Jane ever returned as a spirit... Ben, Kate and even your cases are extremely rare, and we may just be searching for nothing..._

"I understand, but I fear the worse... I do not want to lose anyone when I have only just returned to them. To you."

 _No one shall be lost, not again..._ He assured, _If Jane is out there we will find her and fix this... If she's not and this search is all for superstition, then we shall work forward and be stronger for it..._

"I hope so, mon cher, because whatever happens I fear for your sake as well as our petites." Her thin fingers laced with his, "That last fight with Jane and Zalgo took its toll on you. You still aren't feeding enough."

That was true, although he wouldn't want to admit it, _I'll be fine, my dear... My main goal is to bring the Proxies back to their full strength and make sure they're protected..._ He looked down at sleeping Jack, sighing a moment before catching Rochelle's concerned look, _But... If it would put your worries to rest, I shall send Jeff and Alice out on a couple of jobs to collect souls for me... Lord knows they have been more than eager to get out again..._

She smiled and stood up to wrap her arms around his middle, resting her head against his chest, "It would be a start, mon cher."

Slender moved his arms around hers in turn, smoothing her hair in hopes of comfort and reassurance. He just wanted to make sure she wasn't overly worrying about him. He still felt that he didn't deserve it. After all, it was his fault she had not been by their side sooner. But he cherished it either way. And it was true that Alice and Jeff had been the most restless lately about being restricted to their outside ventures. It would do them good to get out and... do what they do best.

He already had a plan in his head. To send them out to keep them happy, manage the others to work their skills to search for more jobs and keep an extra look for Sickness activities. The routine continues and the worries never leave even if you act like their gone. Mixing caution with peace. And now with Rochelle, Masky, Hoody and Jack back with them, that madness was increased. But not in an entirely negative way. In truth he didn't know how to feel about it all. He should be scared, or at least more worried than he already was. But instead he felt confident, trusting in his Proxies. That didn't mean he wasn't concerned or planning ahead for whatever the future may hold. He was just a little more confident that they would prevail.

* * *

Trixie had finally made it to her room. Her eyes were practically closed by the time she'd changed into her pyjamas. Her bed looked so damn inviting right now. She hoped that Jack would be okay, or rather Rochelle would be okay looking after Jack. But at least Slender would be with them and that eased her mind a little. She rubbed her eyes and crawled into bed, pulling the sheets around her shoulders and just waiting to warm up and drift off to sleep at last.

However warming up was proving to be far more difficult than she expected. The bed just wouldn't take on her body heat. Not that it was overly chilly, in fact it felt kind of like a nice breeze on a warm day, just obviously minus the warm day. She furrowed her brow in confusion, shuffling a little to try and create friction. But her back suddenly brushed against something that was not the wall. Something alive. Or rather, used to be alive. Suddenly an arm looped around her middle and tugged her to press her back closer against it.

"You have no idea how long I was waiting here, Trix."

Trixie shrieked, suddenly wide awake and flailing to escape. But that voice, that damn voice was all too familiar, "B-Ben! What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hissed, trying to roll over and push him away, "Let go of me!"

The ghost did so, meaning that she skidded away faster than anticipated and fell right off the edge of the bed. Ben chuckled, red pupils bright against his black eyes, "Better?"

"No" She snapped, standing up and scowling at him, despite her cheeks feeling flushed from the completely inappropriate intrusion. Especially after he... After he'd invaded her personal space before! "What are you doing?"

"Chilling out," He stretched and lay back against her pillows passively, "You left your computer on, thought I'd pop in and say hello."

"Without asking. At half three in the morning. And when you knew it was my turn to watch Jack tonight."

For a moment, he actually looked lost, before shrugging it off with a semi-sheepish grin, "Honestly, forgot about Jack-watch."

"That doesn't make it better," she snapped, "Get out of my bed and out of my room and- Wait. How long did you say you were there?"

His wicked grin spread wide, "Long enough, Trix..."

Her face inflamed, in embarrassment and rage, "Get. Out."

Ben eyed her as if proving just how much he did see, "You look tired, Trix, why not come here and get comfy?"

"Ben, please, I'm not in the mood for your games, okay?"

"Okay," He put up his hands in a sign of peace and started hovering above the bed to stand himself up and land in front of her. He shrugged a shoulder and tilted his head, "Just been wondering what's up, is all. Feels like you've been avoiding me since we got back."

There was no denying the look in his eye. He didn't mean when they got back from battling Jane and Zalgo. He meant when they got back and he... Oh for gods sake, Trixie, get a hold of yourself. When they got back and he kissed her. Which is definitely what he did. But for one of his stupid, childish mind games that he was so damn fond of. She was not in the mood for it and she refused to go along with it. So in answer, yes, she had been avoiding him. For good reason.

"I'm tired, Ben... And there's been a lot going on, with looking for Jane and helping Jack and the others settle back in. I don't have time for games."

"You don't have time for a lot," He replied casually, "Like the sign language lessons I offered you so that you'd, oh I don't know, be able to understand one of the guys you're trying to help."

She was just about in the right mood to wipe that smirk right off his face. Yeah, okay, she'd avoided him so much that she'd sacrificed learning a new skill that everyone around her seemed to know and used to talk to a vital member of the team. Of course she picked up little phrases from Masky but... it still wasn't useful enough. And she wanted to accept the offer but she didn't want to risk falling into one of his mind game nonsense again, "I don't think you have sign language on your mind..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," He winked.

Trixie exhaled deeply and walked around him to get back into bed, turning her back on him, "Goodnight, Ben."

"Alright, I can take a hint," He rolled his eyes, "You know you really know how to play-"

The wall suddenly shook as someone on the other side thumped their fist against it, followed by Jeff's half-asleep, groggy voice, "Will ya shut up? Sleep!"

Ben snickered, rolling his eyes, "I don't think he knows he's talking to me."

"Right now I don't want to be talking to you," she yawned, "Please, Ben, I'm tired..."

"Alright, alright, I'll go. But I'll see you tomorrow night for your first sign language lesson?"

God she was exhausted. Did he say something? The words just seemed to slur together in her mind, "Huh? Yeah, sure, sure..."

"Excellent," He grinned cunningly, "Until tomorrow."

"M-hmm."

Her eyes were closed, but she soon snapped them open again when she felt something brush her mouth. It was only small, but it felt like a small spark as if someone had poked her after rubbing their feet on the carpet. Ben was already at the door, hovering lazily and stuck around to flash her one last wink before taking his leave. What had just happened? Did anything happen? In all honesty, she was so tired that she didn't even know how she was still standing let alone think that he'd actually... do that again. Too tired to think, she sighed deeply and pushed the confusion to the back of her mind. Laying back among her sheets and falling asleep instantly.

All the while, Ben strolled down the corridor with a cocky air about him. Seems it was true. Some things just never change.

 **A/N:**

 **So that's chapter one! As you know from before, things will be a little slow at first just to catch up on things and set the scene. But things will pick up I promise. I have big plans for this XD**

 **So remember, these updates won't be coming as fast as in the past and this will be the last in the series as a big story. Unless I think of something else in the future of course but for now I'm treating it like the last. I'm sorry, I've loved writing these guys and thank you all for the support. It means a lot and that's why I'm going to try and make this awesome for you all!**

 **Let me know what you think! It'll be great to hear from you guys again! Until next time! XD**

 **(take a look at my website! Search for AmyScribbler on Wordpress uk. Or follow me on twitter at itsascribbler Thanks guys! XD Love you!)**


	2. Uncovered Clue

**A/N:**

 **It was so great to hear from you all again XD I'm so glad you liked the first chapter. Sorry it's taking so long to upload each chapter, but you will have your story in time I promise! Anyways, onto chapter 2! Can't wait to hear what you think!**

The next morning, or rather early afternoon by the time she had woken up and gotten herself ready, Trixie sat in the kitchen with a few of the other fellow Proxies. Namely Ben, Toby, Masky and Hoody. She sat awkwardly as usual for the most part. No offence to them of course, but things had been... tricky for a while now. After attempting to try and pick up little signs and notes, she was having real difficulty trying to understand Hoody. Sign language was something she'd never had to learn before and now that he was officially back with the rest of the group and recovering well from his Sickness overload, she felt bad that she couldn't talk to him. Well that wasn't necessarily true. She could speak to him, and he could sign back, but it would be him signing to Masky who would then play translator. And that's what she felt guilty about. That she had to put two people out just because she couldn't understand. So far, all she understood was 'hello' and 'how are you'. Hardly a full conversation. This day was no different unfortunately.

Although it was added to the already existing awkwardness she felt around Ben after what he did the previous night. In honesty she couldn't remember half of the conversation they had since she had been so damn tired. All she remembered was him suddenly showing up in her room, and then she kicked him out. There had been some talking but god knows what it was. But at least now she was awake and hopefully more alert. Especially since he had been oddly... quiet, that morning. And that just made her nervous. Again...He was like a toddler in some sense. Silence was highly suspect.

"Earth to Trix! Incoming!"

"Jesus!" She jumped in her seat and put her hand over her heart.

Toby snickered, a muscle in his neck twitching on its own where a crick just wouldn't budge, "Sorry. You were spacing again."

"Oh," So much for being alert, "Sorry, still a bit tired from watching Jack last night."

"Yeah you looked it." Ben muttered, earning himself a stern look.

"How's he doing?" Masky asked, missing the comment completely.

"Better now that Rochelle's been helping out. It's like she's got a calming effect on him or something. Same with Kate really."

"Ah, that'll be the motherly touch." Ben smirked, "It's an old broad thing."

"Don't let Kate hear you saying that..." Toby warned.

"What's she going to do, kill me?" He returned.

Hoody rolled his scarlet, pixel eyes and moved his hands to contribute to the conversation, resulting in a small laugh from most of the others in the room besides Trixie, who just waited patiently, and a little guiltily, for a translation.

Masky provided one, "He said that Kate would sure try."

"Oh, right," she smiled, agreeing it was funny but still annoyed she missed the original punch line.

Kate had been working doubly hard since things had settled down. She took the theory that Jane had killed herself to return in a ghost form very seriously. Being a ghost herself, it was clear to see why. Which meant she was also aware of just how malicious the dead could be. She was rarely back at the warehouse anymore. At least whenever she did return, she was willing to stick around for a couple of nights to talk things through with Slender about her findings and plan for the next search. Not that he was happy with her working so hard but when she set her mind to something, that was it.

That's something that had been a lasting effect since everyone had returned home a few weeks ago, everyone was both more cautious, but more active. No one really rested anymore. After Jane had been buried, and Trixie's theory being brought to light, no one really wanted to take chances in letting the bad come to them. Quite the opposite, they wanted to go looking for trouble and stop it before it starts. As Alice would so articulately put it, 'they had been through enough shit to wait around for more'. And of course, the others agreed. Even Slender, this time.

Ben stood up to jump his plate in the sink, a sly look on his face as he finished and made his way around to the other side of the room. His hand landed on Trixie's shoulders, making her tense, "So, Trix, my room tonight?"

She nearly choked on her tea, "Excuse me?"

Ben smirked, "Oh you don't remember? Well you were pretty tired. Last night you agreed to let me teach you some things to make it easier for you to talk to Hoody. You wouldn't want to disappoint him now would you?"

Hoody arched an eyebrow, not really looking surprised, but more like he was curious as to what was going to happen next. Not that he was taking great entertainment in Trixie being in this position because of a technicality on his part, more like he was just amused that Ben would go this far over something so small.

That evil little! "That's why you waited so long, because you knew I wasn't awake to-"

"Either way, agreement is an agreement. I'll see you later..."

Trixie opened and closed her mouth like a fish as Ben just flat out laughed before melting into the computer screen and out of sight. She wasted no time in slapping the laptop closed the moment he was out of sight. How dare he! She couldn't help but feel angry at herself too. She should have known better than to let her guard down around him. Maybe she should show up at his room, just to tell him exactly what she thought of him and tell him to back off. She was done with the games. There was too much going on, with or without the Jane theory being true, to worry about him being a jerk. And a huge jerk at that.

"Careful, Slender isn't going to get more if it breaks," Masky reminded calmly, "And I've said before I'll help you learn."

"I know," She sighed, pushing the laptop away, "Sorry, I just... My head's been all over the place lately."

"I know them feels," Toby nodded, slamming his fist on the spoon leaning over the edge of the cereal bowl, sending the cornflake clump rocketing into the air and catching it in his mouth.

Hoody tapped Trixie's shoulder to get her attention, and elbowed Masky so that he could play translator. Moving his hands swiftly while shrugging passively. Masky waited for him to finish before interpreting, "He said don't read too much into it. Ben's acting like an ass because he's as freaked as the rest of us. You're just an easy target."

She blinked and stared at Masky hard, "Excuse me?"

Masky looked confused a moment then changed to alarm, "What? No no, I didn't say that, he did!"

"I... I know I just-" She huffed and looked at Hoody again with the same expression, "What do you mean easy target?"

Hoddy, in fairness, did look a little apologetic before continuing, then waited for Masky to, reluctantly, interpret, "He said, that you're on edge and therefore it's easy for him to make fun of you. I say, meaning _he_ says just for the record, that it's nothing personal."

Trixie didn't really know how to respond to that. On one had she was a little offended that they all apparently assumed that she was still just a toy to give the other Proxies entertainment when it suited them. Especially after Ben had kissed her. But on the other hand... she had to agree with him. Compared to the others she was still the weakest and the newest, and she had always been the butt of the jokes around here, but she liked to think that she'd grown somewhat. Of course she understood that Ben was just trolling her with all this nonsense, it was just the way he worked. And maybe Hoody was right, he was just freaked out and was trying to distract himself with an easy target. Her. She sighed and pushed her blonde hair back, which only ended up flopping over her left eye in its usual stubborn way. Why did she feel a little disappointed over something she already knew? Christ, her head really was all over the place lately.

"Okay..." She muttered, "You're right. But I've had enough."

Hoody nodded, and indicated to the door. She didn't need a translator for that one. He was telling her to go and tell him so on her own.

"I will. As soon as I'm done with my work."

"And if you're still looking for a sign language teacher, I can show you some stuff!" Toby announced, moving his fingers at a rapid pace to say something to her, but as a result the ligaments in his bones popped and cracked sickeningly and continuously. Within seconds Hoody had to lean across the table to put a hand over Toby's to make him stop, shaking his head to silently ask him to not try that again.

Masky snickered and gave Trixie knowing look, if anyone was a master at sign language, it was him, and everyone knew it. She half smiled but it was half hearted. Damn it, Ben...

* * *

"Hey, hold it. What're you doing?"

"Leaving my card. Like I always do."

"Yeah but that implies it was your job, your kill. It was mine."

"Oh grow up, you already said your lame tagline. And for the record, it's _our_ kill."

Jeff looked at Alice incredulously and rolled his eyes. Bitch be fucking cray. Funny how things could be going so damn well and just twist at the last minute. He'd woken up well, had fun bullying some of those drawings from the newbie, managed to get time for aiming practice with his knife, been given a job at long last... and then it all fell to shit when Slender put him on a job with her! Why couldn't he go out on his own? It wasn't like there was a danger anymore. Well, sure there was that risk that Jane might be out there in ghost-form or whatever but like hell would she show her face around them again after they killed Zalgo! It was dumb! And what was dumber was thinking that he would be any better off with Alice tagging along like this. That wasn't just dumb, that was a dick move and he planned on telling Slender so, again.

But at least he managed to get a kill. It had been way too long since Slender had let any of them out. He was a lot more cautious, then again they all were. But that meant that there were less times they were able to go out. So moments like this he had to at least try and enjoy. Kind of hard when she was bitching all the god damn time!

"Look I don't give a damn anymore," Jeff nudged the bloody corpse between them with his boot, "The guy's dead. Let's just go."

Alice gave him a look, dropping a card into the growing pool of blood and hopped up to sit on a fence railing, "You're kidding, right? The night's still young. What do you say we head back to that club? You seemed to enjoy yourself last time..."

"You keep bringing that place up," He muttered lowly.

After the last Jane attack, he had saved her life. And as a grudging thank you she had invited him to watch her sing at the club not fare from the warehouse. But he didn't she why she kept bringing it up in that patronizing way. Having fun... Sure, he had taken up her offer and went along to watch one of the performances at the club she occasionally sang in for cash. It hadn't been a riot or anything, but it hadn't been a total waste of time either. Not the he remembered half of it, because there may have been a few drinks involved and his head had gotten a little fuzzy at some point. He wasn't even all that sure how he got home. Not that he would admit this of course. And it's also why he wouldn't admit that he had fun that night, half because he couldn't remember if he did and half because he didn't want to give her the satisfaction. Although he was curious... Just what did he do on the way home that made her so... smug?

"I do," She shrugged, "Maybe if I keep bringing it up then you might be able to drag a few drunken ass memories from that thick skull of yours."

"For all I know you drugged me."

She scoffed, "I can just about afford tampons with the singing money, let alone drugs to waste on you."

He grimaced, "Don't bring that shit up..."

"Oh I'm sorry, does blood flow bother you?" She slid down from her perch to glance down slowly at the deceased rapist between them, "Honestly that surprises me."

Jeff rolled his eyes, "Grow up."

"Have fun." Alice returned. She traced her finger along the streak of chilling blood that remained on one of her playing cards so her fingertip became stained red. She quirked an eyebrow at him before drawing two red lines at the corners of her mouth to recreate crude versions of his scars using it. Overall she wasn't trying to be funny or childish. She just felt like making fun of him in a way that wouldn't cause world war three between them, "What do you think? Next cosplay? Or do I need to work on my glare?"

Jeff rolled his eyes, and tried not to smirk at her. God knows he didn't want her thinking he was enjoying himself or something, "That guy could have had Aids for all you know."

"Best keep your distance then," She combated, the corner of her mouth curling and making the fake-scar twitch, "I know that'll be hard for you."

Just to spite her, he took a step closer, "Don't flatter yourself,"

"You do that enough for me..." She quirked an eyebrow, "Like the other week at the club when I had to carry your drunk ass home and you were slurring how much you loved me."

There she was bringing that place up again! "Now I know you're fucking lying."

"Okay, yeah I am about the last one," she snickered.

He rolled his eyes, "Bitch."

"Asshole."

"You know you too shouldn't use bad words like that."

The two raised their weapons, Jeff his knife and Alice her metal-framed cards, in defence of a possible attack. But it quickly registered that the new voice was not threatening. But was childish and pitchy with youth, a little laugh built into it. They glanced at one another, then lowered their arms, turning around to see their observer. A little girl in a very worn pink dress, the hem of which stained with dirt as if she'd been playing in a woodland way past her bedtime. Long brownish curls hung around her pretty little face, unusually bright green eyes gleaming at them. She smiled and waved, beckoning them closer.

Alice sighed and obeyed, "Sally, hon, what are you doing here?"

At a glance, Sally would look like any other eight year old girl. But to anyone who would look closer, they'd notice that her eyes were too bright. Her skin too pale and cold. And her little legs and arms with too many bruises. She was dead. Long dead. A ghost like Kate and Ben, taken in a vile way that no one, especially a child, should have to endure. Now, she remained in Seedeater's care. He would take children away from their homes in the night and take them to play with Sally. And while the children played, the creature would return to the house the child came from, and finish the 'job' on an adult inside of it. Before returning the child to a place of safety. It kept Sally happy with many playmates, and it avoided unnecessary Sickness passing onto children and innocents. That was their job, to care for the children. And they enjoyed it.

Sally grinned, rushing up to hug Alice around her middle, to which she lightly returned. Everyone knew Alice had a soft spot for the girl, she was the only person Alice ever let win a card game, "I'm waiting for Seedy! He's taking my new friend back home cuz he was getting tired. What are you doing here?"

"Working." Alice answered, steering the child away to the dark, empty street so that she didn't see the body behind them. They assumed Sally must have seen a few jobs like this, but she still didn't think it right, "How you doing, hon?"

"I'm okay. Hi uncle Jeffy."

Jeff pulled a face as he followed behind them. It always kinda freaked him out seeing Alice being... nice! And he hated being called that, "I'm not your uncle, runt, and it's Jeff."

"If you say so, uncle Jeffy." Sally giggled, grinning up at Alice, "How come you were using bad words at each other? Are you fighting again?"

"When aren't we?" Jeff groaned, "Scram, runt, we're going home."

"But I wanted to ask you something!" She blinked, looking upset at the idea of being left alone.

"No we will not play with you. I said scram."

Alice elbowed him hard in the ribs before crouching down to Sally's level, giving her a genuine smile, "What did you want to ask, hon?"

Sally returned the smile, playing with a loose thread on her sleeve idly, "Um, is Trixie still the newbie?"

Odd question, but she answered honestly, "She is. No one new since her, why?"

"I dunno. But Seedy says that there's been a lot of stuff going on and it doesn't feel like it's from anyone we know."

"Because that makes sense..." Jeff muttered.

"What do you mean, hon?"

"I dunno," Sally repeated, "He just says he's been sensening a new strong person like you guys around and thought it was a new poxy."

"Sensing, and Proxy." Alice corrected lightly, "And no, there's definitely no new Proxies around. You're sure that's what Seedeater said?"

"Uh-huh. He's been working a lot though, maybe he'd tired. Did you know he snores like a truck!" She giggled cheekily.

Alice exchanged a look. A new, strong Proxy running around? With all of the caution Slender had been taking, and the suspicion that a threat they assumed dead was not really gone, they both came to the same conclusion. But it was one they didn't want to admit. Jane.

"Nothing you need to worry about, hon. Maybe you and Seedeater could come in and see Slender sometime though, yeah? Best go tell him."

Sally tilted her head, "Uh, okay... He should be back soon anyway."

"Good girl. Jeff, why don't we go tell Slender they'll be visiting soon, yeah?" The look she gave him read loud and clear. They had to tell Slender that dangerous Sickness signs were showing up. It was for the best.

"Yeah, sure." He replied, "Beat it, kid."

Alice thumped his shoulder, "Knock it off."

"What! You said we had to-"

"Just cut it out, alright? See you later, hun," She ruffled Sally's hair lightly and pretended to steal her nose before stalking off down the street, vanishing from sight.

Jeff just stared after her, "What did I do this time?" He snapped harshly at no one in particular.

"I know what you did," Sally sang, hands behind her back and rocking on her little pink shoes.

Jeff thought for a moment about just ignoring her and storming off after Alice. But then he figured that he'd done enough of that tonight and frankly he just wanted a freaking answer. Even if it ended up being a false one, it was better than nothing, "Alright, runt. Humour me. What did I do that made her more pissy than usual."

"No bad words," She scolded before continuing, "Anyway. She's not that mad about you being mean to me. Even if I am... She's mad about when you guys went dancing together." She smirked.

Jeff arched an eyebrow, "The club? What does she have to be mad about?"

"You got super silly after you went to the club with her and she had to drag you home." Sally giggled.

Jeff gave her a look. He got drunk, was that it? Well that shouldn't be as bad as Alice is making out. They had a few drinks a ton of times, everyone had seen everyone drunk at some point, what was the big deal? "That's it?"

Sally only giggled more, cheeks turning pink, "Nuh-uh. Cuz when you got home you tried to give her a big fat smooch and she kicked you in the private parts!"

Jeff stared at her as the kid burst into fits of laughter. He fucking did what?! Well that would explain an unmentionable bruise. But seriously? No! No there was no way! The thought made his skin crawl, "You're making that shit up!"

"No bad words," She repeated, smacking his hand pointedly before returning to her laughter, "And I'm not lying! Cuz I saw it. I was helping Slendy and Rochelle look after Jack, remember? You walked right past me when it happened." She faked a shudder, "I thought I was gonna throw up..."

"You're fucking lying! Like hell would I ever- AH!"

Sally kicked him full force in the shin, "I said no bad words! And I don't lie, you bully. Go ask her yourself, I'm going to find Seedeater. Seedy!"

Jeff watched the eight year old march off down the street, leaving him alone with his anger and a horrible throbbing in his leg. The kid had to be lying. Sure he'll admit that he had a little too much to drink that night, and from what he could remember it hadn't been a completely horrible night. But that last part, it wasn't true! He'd never make a move on Alice of all people, she was a pain in the ass! He just couldn't stand her! It didn't make sense! But... For fucks sake...

"Ugh... I picked a shitty week to quit drinking..."

* * *

Shadow Lurker, by name and nature. He fused with the darkness, letting it swallow him and allowing himself to become part of it. In short, he was invisible. Often it was the way he liked it. Just able to watch without causing damage, just to see without being seen. Another other times. It was quite depressing. But right then and there, he was somewhere in between. He was trying to remain hidden, but for once he was not worried for damages he might cause if someone should see him. In fact there was none. He stayed perfectly still, while the one he was observing, walked down the street casually, seemingly unaware that she as being watched.

The girl wore her hair up in a high pony-tail, her blue eyes wide as they adjusted to the darkness. She looked from side to side as if looking for someone, but couldn't see them. Shad smiled, daring to move closer to her so that he was drifting through the shadows against the wall at her side, unseen and silent. Or so he thought. At the last minute, the girl turned sharply to face him and put her hand flat against, not the wall, but his chest, halting him in place. A wry grin spread on her face.

"Found you."

Shad chuckled, stepping from the wall and smiling down at her, gulping a little at her touch, "Indeed you did. You're getting better at tracking me, Emily."

Emily shrugged, lowing her hand to give him space, "Well I learned from the best. What, is that like my fifth time in a row I've found you right away now?"

"I counted four, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt." He smiled, semi playfully.

"Charming... I didn't count hide and seek as your kind of game, Shad."

"It's not. Well I suppose I do it a lot but not as a game."

"I know," she sighed, "It's part of your job. And this is self defence classes..."

"I wouldn't call it that, really, we are having fun." He added encouragingly, wanting her to know that he really was enjoying her company and wanted to be there.

Ever since he had revealed himself to her, after watching and protecting her for so long, he was glad to be at this point with her. To laugh and enjoy their time, not having to worry about the past or remaining dangers. For the most part anyway. He couldn't admit how much he cared for her. Not without scaring her. She was only human, and he wanted to keep it that way. He was terrified of the risk of infecting her with Sickness or bringing her into the life he led. And after she was almost attacked by Zalgo's control, he was all the more scared. Which is why he was grateful for this face to face contact at last. It meant he could protect her and show her how to protect herself. Starting with showing her how to detect when a creature with Sickness was near. And she was learning well.

"We are having fun," She nodded, smiling up at him softly, "Do um... Do you think I could meet your team soon? I've already met Kate, and Jack, I heard there's others?"

"Many. But... But Emily you know how risky it is." He deflated, "It's not a good time right now."

"You say that but I can help, maybe? If you let me."

"Emily, I'm sorry. I truly am but I can't risk you getting hurt. Not after last time. I don't want you getting hurt..."

"I won't get hurt. I can be your... girl on the outside. Let you know if I see anything weird."

"We have Passive Proxies for that. Emily please, it's too dangerous for you to get involved."

"So you keep saying. Shad, I know that you're right but I'm sick of just being someone you come to protect for no reason. Nothing is coming after me anymore. You don't have to watch over me. I don't want you to watch over me! I just... I just want you to, I don't know... Be with- I mean be around me because you want to, not because you feel you have to."

Shad stared at her, feeling a sharp pang in his chest, the kind only a cruel mixture of guilt and care can cause, "Emily, I do want to be here with you. I have no right or duty over you, I never have. I just don't want you to be in danger."

She lowered her eyes, sighing deeply and reaching out to touch his arm gently, "I'm not in danger, Shad."

He looked down at the contact her hand had made, and awkwardly raised his hand to cover hers, "I know... After last time, I just worry."

"No kidding," A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, round eyes looking up at him, "But you don't have to."

"A tad hypocritical if you don't mind me saying considering how much you worry about me."

"Don't push your luck, shadow-boy." She didn't want to let the subject drop so soon when nothing had been solved. But... she would rather put off the discussion for another night than risk losing him. They'd grown close in the visits he made to her. It didn't even matter to her that he wasn't human. Come to think of it, it never had.

"I-I'm sorry I-"

"I'm kidding, Shad." She giggled, giving him arm a squeeze before letting go, her fingers slipping past his, "Are you coming to visit tomorrow?"

"Yes, if I'm invited of course."

"Sure you are," She grinned, "I'll be in my room. You don't have to knock this time, you know?"

"Making up for past lack of politeness." He responded with a smile, "Sleep well, Emily."

"Good luck with your team, Shad. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Shad watched her leave, feeling a groggy sense of sadness as he did so. Whenever she left him, the shadows seemed that much darker to him. He hated the fact that he couldn't spend longer with her, or that he couldn't tell her more than what he already had. But every word he spoke to her, he was risking Sickness passing to her. The idea of her suffering the same fate the other Proxies have, it made him physically sick. He had to protect her. He had to make sure that she wasn't exposed more than she already was. Because if he ever lost her... he'd never forgive himself.

As he travelled through the streets via shadows and darkness, his mind wondered further and further into worry and concern. Perhaps talking to Slender about this would be wise. But what would he say? It was an awkward situation to discuss. Emily was not his pet, she was more than that. But at the same time he did not have a right over her. She was her own person, and she wanted answers. He wanted to give them, but he didn't know the consequences. And that, was worth mentioning to Slender.

Wait, what was that? Something in the distance set him off balance. It was almost alive with how much energy pulsed from it. He materialized from the shadows, stepping closer with great caution. Only to find that what he had sensed was actually a residue of some sort. But was one that he knew. It looked at first, like a blood stain, but that was only half true. Because beneath that was a vile substance, invisible to the human eye. Good thing he wasn't human.

He furrowed his brow, crouching low and reaching out a hand to brush over the dark stain in the dirt. A hiss escaped him as he drew his fingers back sharply, a acidic burning sensation curdling through his skin. Sickness. Someone had been giving off a vast amount of Sickness when they killed someone innocent. Right here. More than any of Slender's proxies could produce. This was bad... Very bad. Something was out there, and very strong. But careless. And... familiar. Horribly so. This was... Slender needed to know about this.

 **A/N:**

 **So the idea of Jane returning is looking like more of a possibility. But… What happens next? And what is up with Jeff and Alice? And Ben and Trixie come to think of it… Trust me this is all a lot to handle when it comes to writing but I'm enjoying it XD I really hope you guys are too!**

 **Can't wait to hear your reviews and I'll see you again in the next chapter!**


	3. Miss me?

**A/N:**

 **Thanks again for the reviews and support everyone! It's been great hearing from you all again! Chapter three is now here XD**

"It's not the same… Never… Never the same- not the same! It's not right!"

The half sobs bounced off the thin plaster walls and became drowned in the damp air. No one was there to listen, therefore no one was there to answer. Not anymore. Not since that evil thing took her Daddy away. She tried to play nice. She tried to encourage her so called friends to see things her way. But no. No nothing worked now that he was gone! Nothing was right! And now she was stuck in this state where she felt nothing, did nothing, was nothing! Her body lay somewhere she didn't even know of, rotting, and she could feel it. Yet she was stuck in this building, where even rats didn't breed.

She shoved the newest addition away to the pile of corpses that she'd managed to horde over the weeks. They were useless to her now. Once there had been a time where slicing a strangers throat and feeling their life fade away and merge into her own had been the ultimate rush. The loss of their life, in turn gave her life. But now… now it was barely worth it. Where had it all changed? Where had it gone wrong? She rubbed the blood from her blackened lips and slumped against the wall, the stains from her hands printing along the wall to join many others where she had sunk in her own despair. What had changed…?

She remembered her Daddy… He got her toys to gather food for her and it was damn good food! But then Daddy was taken away from her by him! And her toys didn't want to play anymore. Because he took them away! And then… Then no one was listening to her! Daddy was gone and she just couldn't handle it and… And she killed herself. It had all been so quiet and peaceful, like a sleep she'd been longing for years to arrive. Then, just like that, it had been over. She'd woken up in a raging chill that she just couldn't escape from. She had grown used to the sickly heat of Sickness and this cold was just… it was evil. She was cold, hungry, and angry.

Part of her wondered if she'd made a mistake, ending her life to replace it with this so called existence. But that was an easy notion to brush aside. Especially when she kept her eyes on the goal. She did this for a reason, she had to remember that, "I miss you Daddy… I'll get you back… I promise… And they'll pay..." She stood up, steadily building up her voice into a dark cackle, one she hadn't given in a long, long time, "And I'll see you soon, Daddy, very soon."

* * *

 _So you're sure that there has been no alterations during your work…?_ Slender asked calmly, _You don't feel a different atmosphere while drawing…?_

Trixie shook her head, handing the drawings of future victims into Slender's hands, "Not really. The drawings feel the same and nothing weird has shown up in them either."

 _That's a relief to hear… And you haven't had any signs of Jane…?_

There was a slight hesitation in his tone that Trixie didn't miss. Just like she didn't miss the shiver of fear she felt at the mention of that name, "No. I'd tell you if there was."

 _I know you would, Beatrix... Thank you…_

She smiled a little and shrugged. She wasn't trying to play favourites since she knew many who outranked her in that, she was just doing her job, "Slender? Can I ask you something?"

 _Yes… Is something bothering you, Beatrix…?_

A lot! It took her a lot to avoid blurting that out, but she recovered and tried to find a better way of putting it, "That… That theory me and the others had, about Jane being a ghost and still coming after us. It was just a theory. Do you really think she's still out there?"

He sighed, _Beatrix, we've been over this…_

"I know but, do you?"

 _I believe that it is a possibility, as you know… And it's a risk that would not do well to be taken lightly… Whether it be true or not, we have to take every precaution… That includes me monitoring Proxies mindsets and workplace…_

"I know, and I understand that. But if she is out there, what happens when we meet her again? And if we don't, will we just be looking over our shoulders for… well ever?"

Slender hesitated before answering. The girl had a point, _In this line of life, we cannot afford to let our guard down… No matter the consequences… But I understand your concerns, Beatrix, and no… No I do not think that we will be looking over our shoulders for much longer… We will have our answers soon enough…_

Trixie noticed that he hadn't completely answered her questions, and she was very set on keeping to her new path of not being pushed around or brushed aside. She faced him directly, trying to stop her hands from shaking. She hadn't really stood up to him before, "Slender. I want to know what your plan is. If Jane's out there, and if she isn't. Please."

He didn't back down, nor did he give any motion that he was going to give into her. Then again after dealing with tantrums from Jeff and going against demons like Zalgo, it was understandable why a nineteen year old human who wasn't a murderer wouldn't be much of an intimidation to him. Slender looked down at her, _I apologize… This recovery period has been stressful on all of us… My plan, Beatrix, is to search and be on guard until we are positive of our assumptions of Jane's state of being… It's not much… But right now it's all we have… I apologize if it's not good enough…_

Although it wasn't a snap, she still averted her eyes and felt a pang of guilt. She didn't really want to admit it but… he did have a point there, "I didn't mean it like that…"

 _I know, I apologize, as I said it has been a difficult time for us all…_

"I know… I should go."

 _Don't leave thinking you've spoken out of turn, Beatrix, you're more than in your right to ask such things…_

That helped a little she guessed. But in the end, she wished she hadn't said anything. He hadn't really answered anything she couldn't have guessed for herself and now she looked like a bitch for making him sound like he wasn't doing anything about the situation they were in. Why was it that whenever she tried to be more forceful, things just backfired horribly. Maybe it was best she kept her mouth shut. Then again things didn't turn out so well when she did that either. Finally she simply nodded and left the room quietly, to avoid any more damage.

Slender watched her leave and sighed deeply. He hated not being able to be of proper use to his Proxies. He knew that she was stressed, they all were. But there were just so many uncertainties wafting around them all like a dense mist that clouded their minds and wavered their choices. He knew that there was a high risk of Jane having returned as a spirit intent on getting revenge for Zalgo's demise. Which is why he was so cautious now. No one went out alone apart from Shad and Kate, only because they were trained enough to handle high levels of Sickness. They searched and they stayed ready for an attack but apart from that… he really had no idea what to do. And that's what he hated the most.

He flinched when he felt hands on his shoulders, moving lightly and steadily. A soft, French-tinted voice followed, "Do not fret, mon cher. You're doing your best."

 _But I wish I was, my dear... But I feel as if I'm doing nothing…_ He turned around and saw that she'd had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his shoulders, so he put his hands gently on hers, _I should be searching more, helping more in some way…_

"It's dangerous. And Jack, the poor petite, needs you here. He feels safer with you here. As… As do I."

He noted the shakiness to her tone and sighed, stroking her hair back gently, _I'll never leave you again, my dear, you must know that by now…_

"I do. But I fear if you go looking for Jane, should she be out there, then you won't have a choice. Something could happen…"

 _I'll always stay with you… I promise you that…_

She smiled weakly, "I believe you. I just worry sometimes. I'm sorry."

 _If what we fear is true, we all have to worry…_

Rochelle looked up at him, sensing that there was something more to this. He was not usually so morose and defeated. It was not the Slender she knew, "What is this all about, mon cher? You don't fear rogue Proxies and you don't fear the wrath of spirits. Please, tell me what is really bothering you?"

Slender took his turn to hesitate. It was true, there was more going on in his mind than he was letting on. He wanted to be of more use to his Proxies, and it was true that he really did wish he was doing more to assist in the searching of Jane should be still exist. But there was a reason why he hadn't done much personally to go out there himself. It was hard to admit. Some may say it was a sign of weakness or even selfishness. But he couldn't help how he felt. The memories of the past relayed in his mind. How he had struggled to reason with Jane. The anger and inhuman waves that pulsated through her being, rotted with Sickness. How she had not listened to him… How he could do nothing.

 _I could not save her last time… I'm delaying any acts of proving the theory of her return true because… well frankly, my dear, I'm scared I'll fail at helping her again…_

Rochelle blinked, her scarlet eyes softening as she reached up and cupped his face, "Oh mon cher…"

 _I couldn't bring her back to sanity… Even with Zalgo gone it could not be done… And what I might have to do to the poor girl to stop her Sickness spreading, I just don't want it to happen…_

She understood what he meant, and it hurt her to think of it. But she knew it was what must be. If Jane could not be reasoned with, then she would have to be exterminated, "No one wants it to happen, cher, and it might not. We don't know what might happen."

 _Then… Then what do you suggest I do…?_

"Exactly what your Proxies have been telling you," She smiled gently, "Go out there and search for her. What happens happens but you have to try."

 _But… what about you…? And Jack…?_

"You've promised you'll always come back, you value your promises."

 _I do…_ He nodded, his tone soft and gentle as if he feared too loud a noise would shatter her.

She chuckled, "I know…"

* * *

Shad furrowed his brow, rubbing his fingers together where the remaining residue from the burning patch of leftover Sickness he'd found earlier. He'd taken his time in travelling, wanting to remain around Emily's residential area first to make sure that there was no threat to her before continuing on his way. What bothered him the most wasn't that he had found Sickness in the first place. Since it was common to come across leftovers from another Proxy that didn't stick around as long. Such as the likes of Widemouth, Rake or even Kate if the kill is sudden enough. But this was different. It was not one of their own and it was not to be taken lightly. Above all, it was familiar. The same, dark and vile substance that lined the walls and coated the atmosphere back in the grim confines of Zalgo's realm. But Zalgo was gone. And even if he did return somehow then he could never return to a human world, it was too clean for him, he wouldn't survive. So that meant that this belonged to a creation of his, or at least an accomplice. Both perhaps? Which left only one option.

"If you're going to walk this damn slow all the way then I may as well leave you here."

"Fuck off, alright, I'm thinking."

"Yeah, I'll believe that…"

"I said fuck off!"

Shad blinked, he knew those voices. Then again after so many years it was hard to misplace the harsh bite of the male and the wry impatience of the female. He ripped through the shadows, following the half hearted argument until he found the two figures walking through a wooded area not far from the small town he'd just wondered through. It actually harder for him to travel through the shadows of the woods, they were so much more disjoined and scattered that it was hard to pinpoint where he was actually going. Whereas in a ally way or along a street wall, it was a smooth and straight shot. But he continued all the same, curving around trees and gliding over branches until he found the two figures.

Alice was walking fast, looking annoyed yet determined. While Jeff trudged along sluggishly behind her as if he'd just taken a heavy hit to the gut. Shad sensed that there was a tension between them, but that was hardly new, they were always at one another's throats. Frankly, it wasn't in his interests or patience to try and figure out the cause of it this time. There were other things to deal with right now.

He emerged not far from them, in plain view, "I have something important to tell you."

Alice jumped back and raised her fists, Jeff doing likewise with his knife, "Jesus, Shad, don't do that!"

"I apologise," He told her, "You two are returning from your work rather quickly."

"Bastard went down easy," Jeff shrugged, pocketing his knife again, "Don't be cryptic, what did you have to tell us?"

Shad felt a chill in the air, unnatural, "I found Sickness residue, strong and highly infectious. I… I think it could be a spawn of Zalgo's but that would mean-"

"Yeah we know," Alice interrupted, eyes hard, "We bumped into Sally and Seedeater after the job. Apparently they've been picking up Sickness readings too that don't belong to our kind."

"Yeah she said some other stuff too…" Jeff muttered to himself ruefully.

Alice gave him a look, "Like what?"

"Nothing."

"We have to tell Slender," Shad insisted, "The signs are getting too much to ignore now."

"What good will it do?" Jeff snapped, "He's to busy hiding in his little office with Rochelle to give a damn. It's just like it always was with him letting us do the dirty work and be damned for it."

"Don't," Shad warned, glaring at him coldly, "Don't even try that, Jeff. He saved us if you remember correctly. This is confusing for all of us and there are no correct moves to make at this time until we get some straight answers."

Jeff's no doubt witty comeback was cut off by a high pitched, almost inhuman laughter echoing off of the branches and melting into the darkness. The group turned around, their backs to one another in an almost rehearsed formation to cover one another while also scanning the area for their observer. But all they could see was the occasional shifting of a shadow. Not unlike the way Shad would move, but far more ominous. The laughter jumped with the darkness, making them feel as though they were being surrounded.

"Show yourself." Shad demanded, keeping his voice calm despite the headache that was starting to creep along the back of his mind, Sickness thick in the air.

The laughter stopped, the outline of a figure standing between some shrubs. Tall, thin and feminine. Only gaunt and too thin, like she hadn't eaten properly in weeks, white skin only just visible against the night. Although they couldn't see her face, it was clear who they were talking to. In short, nightmare confirmed.

"Miss me?

"Jane," Shad tried calmly, "Jane you need to stop this. Surely you realize that none of this is worth it."

"You killed my Daddy… It's definitely worth it."

"Killing yourself over that guy was not worth it." Jeff spat.

"Death suites me… No one can stop me now." She cackled, they could only just make out her arms raising, offering them to make a move, "Kill the ghost. Go on."

Alice had to grab Jeff's arm to stop him trying, "You've got two choices. You either come with us, or we hunt you down. Take your pick."

Jane tilted her head as if she were actually contemplating the options, before she giggled, sounding too young and disjointed for a woman of her age, "Or I could kill you and wait for Slender to come and pick up your corpses?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth had she prepared a stance to lunge at them. The group raised their arms and weapons ready for defence and attack. But by the time anyone had the opportunity to actually move-

 _BANG!_

Jane screamed, crumpling to the ground and scuttling back. The air was illuminated with an arrange spark for a split second before plunging them in darkness once more. The smell of gunpowder and smoke laced within the air. Jane stared at them coldly, muttering curses and incoherent phrases to herself. She clutched her shoulder where a bullet had shot through her. But there was no blood. The dead don't bleed.

"Bring Slender to me, or else."

And just like that, as quickly as the breeze through the shadows, she melted into the darkness and vanished from sight. Leaving nothing but a stain of Sickness on the ground where she had just been. Jeff tried to race forward, but it was too late. She was gone. The rest of the group turned, trying to discover who had fired the gun. But instead, all they heard was the sly, southern hinted voice that sounded like she was perfectly aware of her perfect timing, and wasn't afraid to gloat just a little.

"Looks like I can't leave y'all alone for two minutes without y'all getting into some kinda trouble."

Shad blinked through the smoke that the gunfire had caused, and making out a familiar shape. A woman with a pistol in hand and another at her hip, cowboy hat covering her golden lizard-like eyes. If that wasn't enough, the southern twang was more than a giveaway, "Kate?"

"Miss me, Shadowman?"

"Not your methods. But very good timing at least," He gave a weak smile before turning his attention back to the others, "Jeff! Alice! Enough, we have to go back and warn Slender!"

"You're kidding right?" Jeff yelled, "If we hurry we can-"

"He's right," Alice spat venomously, unhappy with the choice but it was the best one to make, "We'll get her later."

"If there'll be a later." He growled.

"Would one of y'all like to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Jane," Shad said bitterly, "Jane is what's been going on."

 **A/N:**

 **So Jane really is back! Well, we knew that but now the gang know it too. What's going to happen now? So many subplots, will I hadn't them all? Have faith in me guys XD Until next time!**


	4. Questions With Little Answers

**A/N:**

 **Sorry for the wait! A lot of stuff has been going on… But here is the fourth chapter! I'll try and get the next one uploaded a little faster, I promise. So, Jane is back, Kate is back, and Ben is trolling Trixie ten times over. What's gonna happen huh? Let's find out! XD**

 **Also, thank you to Kisa Sohma Cookie for all the rp-ing to help me get some of these scenes just right!**

Okay, so this was it. She was putting an end to the mind games and the uncertainty. There was no need to prolong this anymore and she refused to remain, as Hoody put it, an easy target. She plain and simply refused. Which is what brought her here, to his bedroom door. Just standing there. Watching it as if it were a time bomb about to explode in her face. Great.

Trixie sighed, shuffling awkwardly on her feet with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, knowing that in some form she was going to regret this. But she had to do this. Ben had been messing around with her mind far too often and after the stunts he'd been pulling as of late, it was time to put an end to it. She, and everyone else, had far too much to think about at the moment. Ben expected her to be here, but she didn't plan on staying. She would get sign language lessons from Masky or Shad, someone she could trust to be around. This would be quick and painless. Hopefully. Time to knock the door…

It didn't take long for the door to open. Ben stood there in the doorway, looking at her in momentary surprise as if he hadn't actually expected her to show up as per forced arrangement. Either that or he was surprised that someone actually bothered to knock the door politely rather than barging in. He recovered with an arched eyebrow and a knowing look, "Evening, Trix. What do I owe the pleasure?

She tried not to grimace at the look, since it brought up more flashbacks than she'd appreciate. Be strong Trixie, "Well I um, the thing is this morning when- Look I've said it before I've had enough of-"

"Of not being able to talk to Hoody properly, I know I know, the guilt is eating at you," He cut her off with a tone of mock concern, "I'm assuming that's an issue still?"

"Well yes but-"

"Then you've come to the right place!" He stepped backwards to silently invite her inside, "I was wondering when you were going to give into me..."

Trixie flushed, a scowl moving over her features, "Don't do that."

"Don't do what exactly?"

"Make this… sound like something perverted when it's not." She took the invite and marched inside his room. Strictly for the purpose that this was probably not a conversation she wanted anyone to overhear. Then things really would get blown out of proportion. No, this confrontation needed to be private and simple.

She took a moment to get a good look at his bedroom. It was tidier than she'd expected. But had a computer desk that took up the majority of one wall, six computer monitors set up along them with various codes and game images flickering across them where he'd paused his work. There were bookcases and shelves worth of game-manuals, cartridges and disks along with multiple consoles plugged in beneath the desk. A bed was shoved into the corner, two laptops sitting at the foot of it. Why he needed a bed when he didn't sleep, she didn't know, but then again it might be a better place to game when he wasn't working. In fact this whole room seemed like the ultimate gamer heaven. But she didn't let herself be impressed. Not right now.

Ben pretended to look confused for a moment, closing the door behind him, "Well… the way I see it, it's just the two of us alone in my room where we'll be using parts of our body to send certain messages and signals to each other in a skilful way. What's wrong with that?" He winked for effect, making her scowl deepen.

"Stop it. Ben, I'm not here for you to give me lessons to talk to Masky and I'm not here for you to make fun of anymore." She said firmly, not breaking eye contact to try and convey how serious she was.

"Who's making fun? As far as I'm aware I was just giving her a few pointers and that was the end of it."

She stared at him hard, "No. I don't…" It both confused and hurt her a little to say this, but she had to make a point, "I don't trust you when you do this."

He blinked, sly expression faltering for just a second in a way that Trixie couldn't register fast enough. Ben was silent for a few seconds longer than necessary to make this situation all the more uncomfortable. Finally, he shrugged, giving the impression that the comment didn't bother him, "So sign language is pretty easy to pick up once you know the basics. Alphabet is pretty pointless in Hoody's case so it'll be best to teach you key words that would be more appropriate for our line of work."

Trixie's brow raised. He… What just happened? "I'm sorry?"

"Well I said I'd give you a lesson. Just keeping my word. Figured it would be the trustworthy thing to do." He gave her a look, as if trying to prove a point.

"Don't be like that…" She sighed, giving him a look, "Besides, I just want to say hi to him every now and again, it doesn't have to be all work based."

Ben shrugged, "As you said, there's a lot of shit happening around here, work is kind of unavoidable," He perched on the edge of his bed, patting the space next to him. She hadn't forgotten why she was there. And she still planned to put her point across that she wasn't to mess with her mind anymore. But he seemed genuine enough this time… She just had to be on guard is all. With that, she sat down at the computer chair pointedly. Ben rolled his eyes in mild amusement before continuing his oddly serious manner, "Okay since you'll be watching him speak, you'll have to focus. Saying it is one thing but watching it is a lot harder. You have, 'hello', 'goodbye', how are you' and 'thank you' which are pretty simple."

Trixie watched his hands move with every example he gave. Trying to make a mental note of each one and subtly twitching her fingers to mimic them, "Well Masky's shown me those already. And, look, Ben I've said before that I'm not here for-"

"Cheating on me with another teacher already? I'm insulted," He snickers, "Anyway, Hoody's an alright guy so I'll leave our showing you swears today. Okay so lets get started. 'How are you?'" His hands moved steadily, speaking slowly to give her a chance to learn.

In honesty, Trixie did try to keep telling him that she wasn't here for a lesson. But every time he either cut her off or she was hesitated by her own mind simply because she found that she was actually learning and picking up the phrases he was telling her. This couldn't last much longer though. She'd come here to make a point and she was going to damn well make it! Even if he did seem oddly serious about giving her tips on how to communicate like this… It was all very confusing. Finally, after a he'd given her a few more useful phrases to memorize, she put her foot down.

"Thanks, Ben, I think I have enough to stop the awkward silences now but… I didn't come here for a lesson."

He sighed, rolling his eyes and leaning forward a little, "I'm well aware, Trix. Just wanted to make a point. Go ahead."

She hesitated, half expecting him to interrupt again, "Well… I came here to say that I don't want you toying with me anymore. All the jokes, mind games, twisting my words and sneaking into my room… It's got to stop."

Ben looked up at her, calculating and calm, "It's just how I do things, Trix, you're not the only one I act like this around." He stood up, moving to his shelves and repositioning some of the games boxes.

"I know but as far as I know you haven't ki- You haven't… I mean you're not this persistent with the others."

He smirked to himself, his back to her, "What were you going to say there?"

"Nothing." She stood up, trying to make an exit quickly, "Thank you for the lesson. But you're not allowed to come into my room without my permission anymore and you can't invade my personal space or make crude comments for the sake of it. That's what I wanted to tell you. I'm your teammate. That's all."

Ben arched an eyebrow, "So we're playing this game huh?"

"What game?"

"The one where we jump from you avoiding me to setting ground rules so you can avoid me even more. I gotta say, Trix, you're about as subtle as I am."

She blinked, alarm bells ringing, time to make an exit, "Bye, Ben."

"No wait a minute," He intercepted her, his hands landing on her shoulders so he could look down at her quizzically, "I was giving you a lesson as promised, and now this."

Her eyes avoided his, "It's not just this though is it? Ben, please, I don't want to talk about it, just listen to what I said and we'll both get on fine."

"No we won't," He moved closer, "Be honest with me, Trix, you're spouting all this crap because I kissed you and you liked it."

Trixie startled, staring up at him and trying to fight the redness in her cheeks. No she was not falling for this again, "This is what I mean about invading space and the jokes…"

"I don't here you denying."

"Enough alright!" She grabbed his wrists and moved his hands away, holding them at a distance, "Just… stop it. I can't take this anymore okay? Yes you kissed me, but you kind of jumped it on me so I don't know about enjoying it. And if I did or didn't, it doesn't make a difference. What I said earlier still stands. So stop it."

Ben continued to look down at her, smirking casually, "Still up for another lesson tomorrow?"

Wait, what? Weren't they just talking about- For gods sake, "No!"

"Ah well, fun while it lasted," He winked at her, closing in so his nose brushed hers, "Very fun."

What the hell was he doing? Had he not listened to a single thing she'd said? One minute she had a plan and the next he just freaking took over like damn usual! But why did he have to put her in that false sense of security with that sign language lesson and… Now this? Just out of nowhere and- Damn it this wasn't fair! She glared up at him. He his face was centimetres from hers, her hands still clamped on his wrists to try and fail keep him at bay. And that damn smirk of his was still baring down on her smugly as if her anger was exactly what he wanted. It made her blood boil. She opened her mouth to say something. Anything in a last attempt to get him to back off and get her point across. To stop this! But then it happened. Someone stopped it for her.

"Ben! Ben get your ass out here!" A harsh, loud voice echoed down the corridor, getting closer until the bedroom door bust open to reveal Jeff looking worn out and pissed off, "Shit is hitting the fan big time and- Fucking hell what is going on here?"

Both Ben and Trixie froze. But in completely different ways. Whereas Trixie froze from fear and humiliation and not daring to look Jeff in the eye, Ben froze to deliberately keep Trixie where she was and prolong the awkwardness for both his company. The wry expression on his face grew, as he tilted his head ever so slightly to look at Jeff.

"Bad timing, Jeffy-boy, we were in the middle of something."

Trixie squeaked and tried to shove Ben away, shaking her head rapidly, "N-No we weren't! H-He-"

"Are you two fucking?"

"No!" Trixie shrieked, every fibre in her being burning with anger.

"Then what the fuck is all-"

"Was there a reason for the interruption, Jeffy-boy?" Ben asked, almost bored.

"You weren't interrupting anything." Trixie hissed pointedly.

Jeff looked between the two like he was either really enjoying this or creeped out beyond all reason. What the fuck was going on here… Damn it he didn't have time to get involved in whatever tripped out drama they were going through, "Right… Look whatever. We just got back from a job and things got majorly fucked up out there. We're calling a meeting with Slender and you need to be there."

"What's so big that we need a group meeting with Slender?" Ben asked.

"Take a wild guess."

Trixie felt a migraine coming on. This day just could not give her a break, "Jane…"

* * *

It looked as though Jeff had not been kidding when he said that they were calling a meeting with Slender. The entire group was there. It was almost a miracle that they could all fit inside Slender's office. Trixie found herself pressed into a corner between Alice and Toby, making a point of keeping as far away from Ben as possible after whatever the hell that was. She was still furious at him. But she'd allow her anger to be put to the side for this. The moment Jeff had announced what had happened, the air seemed to be so much colder.

Alice, Jeff, Kate and Shad retold the story of what had happened earlier. Or rather, the important parts. Such as Shad discovering Sickness residue, Alice and Jeff's talk with Sally about seeing a new Proxy, and the discovery of Jane in the woods. All of which, Slender listened to with a grim air about him. Standing perfectly still to a point that would almost be concerning if it weren't for the occasional twitch of his fingers.

Jane was back… No, Jane never left. The theories that she was back as a ghost and after them it... it was no longer just a theory! It was a terrifying reality. This meant that Jane now had a trait from each Proxy and was practically unstoppable. Shad's ability to travel from shadows, Kate's venom, Alice's agility, Jeff's bloodlust, Toby's ability to not feel pain, Trixie's ability to draw future events, Jack's instability and now she had the last one. Ben's inability to be killed. It was unclear yet if she'd gained anything from Hoody or Masky, but to be honest, everyone hoped not. She didn't need anymore ammunition. She was already deadly as she could be. All thanks to being dead.

As the story was being told, Jack sat shivering at Rochelle's side, fear slowly crawling into his mind once more, "N-No… Not again please…" He whispered, barely audiable.

"Shh petite," Rochelle soothed, stroking his hair gently, "No one is going to hurt you."

"Not on my watch," Kate agreed, "Besides, don't seem likely she was after him."

"No, she actually asked for you personally, Sir," Shad explained, "Just before she vanished."

"Well that's not surprising since he got rid of Zalgo," Ben commented.

"Exactly," Masky agreed, "What's surprising is why she hasn't shown up here herself."

Hoody indicated to get Slender's attention, moving his hands quickly, a quizzical expression on his pixel-looking face. Slender responded with a slow nod, _Yes I understand that's still a risk, but I don't think she can actually come here on her own…_

Trixie looked confused, "Why not?"

 _She is a lone Proxy… She is not branded by me so she cannot track us, and now that Zalgo is gone she has no master… She's a lone entity that is very angry and very aware of her power… A dangerous combination, but one that cannot come here without one of us to guide her…_

"Not sure if that's a good thing or not," Toby shrugged twice, once for the comment and twice to crack his shoulders.

"Neither am I but it's something," Alice folded her arms, "Now what? We know she's out there and can't get here, but what do we do now?"

Everyone looked at Slender with a mixture of expectancy and anxiousness. Some more willing to show it than others. Even Rochelle was showing the smallest glimpse of unease as she comforted the boy at her side. Slender stood strong, seemingly unphased by the news that had been thrown at him like this. But then again… he wasn't surprised. He always knew deep down that their suspicions were true and that honestly didn't change much about his concerns. He needed to try and help Jane, to put her on a better path since he understood there was no way of fully redeeming her. Her mind was too far gone now… He couldn't fix her. But he could help her. If he could think of a way how at least.

 _It has been a long and eventful night for all of you and going back out like this wouldn't help anyone…_

"So, what, we're just going to sit here and do nothing?" Jeff exclaimed, clenching his fists, "Screw that! I'm not just going to lay around here while she's running around! I want to do something!"

"Easy there little'un," Kate warned cockily, "Don't go doing something dumb. Y'all remember what happened last time."

"Yeah, like you storming off and me tracking your drunk ass down," Alice muttered, giving him a cold look.

"That was different!" Jeff protested, "We should be out there looking for her to make sure she's dead for good!"

"Sir, I have to agree with them," Shad said carefully, "Of course we have to be cautious but hiding here won't do us much good."

 _You're right…_

Kate blinked, "Wanna say that again?"

The group looked at Slender as if he were a stranger. Slender in turn, sighed and kept his voice collected, _My mistake in the past was that I spent too long planning to just delay the inevitable... It resulted in a lot of damage that could have easily been avoided… I don't plan in making that mistake again…_

"He's seen the light at last…" Ben muttered, a wry grin on his face.

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Jeff rolled his eyes and cracked his knuckles, "So what are we waiting around here for when-"

 _I wasn't finished, Jeffery…_ Slender interrupted calmly, _I said that I won't make the same mistake again by staying still for so long… However I do stand by my point that we must rest for tonight… I have a lot to think about and the rest of you need your wits about you… Tomorrow, we start the search for Jane…_

Jeff naturally did not look happy about this arrangement at all. But it was either that, or fight his way out on his own and as much as he hated to admit it, he was fully aware that plan went to shit last time. So he just had to sit there and do as he was told. That didn't mean he had to agree with it though. His arms folded and he avoided eye contact with the rest of the group. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Rochelle giving him a small, encouraging smile. In return he gave her a flat look and then turned his attention back to his shoes. Damn it he hated the way she made him feel like some bratty teenager. Even if he didn't shrug her off like he originally planned to.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence after Slender had finished speaking. Everyone seemed to be under the same agreement that although it was probably for the best to stay put for the night, they all knew that no one was going to be resting. It was true, Jane was back. This was no longer just a theory, this was really happening! Which meant that the danger was real too. The room felt like it was stuck in a picture snap shot, frozen in time and if anyone dared speak then time would begin again. But someone had to break the silence. Someone had to start time moving again.

No one expected it to be Jack. His tiny whisper of a voice shattered the silence, shaking with his fragile frame as a black tear slipped down his face, "It's happening again isn't it…?"

 _No…_ Slender said firmly, _No, it won't happen again… I'll make sure of that..._

 **A/N:**

 **Dun dun duuuhnn! Rofl XD**

 **So action is finally going to be taken! But what will Slender have in mind? What is Jane planning? Will they get the upper hand over her? What does Jeff think he walked in on? Is Ben for real or is he just trolling? Who knows…**

 **Can't wait to hear what you think! I'll try upload the next chapter faster, lol, see you next time! XD**


	5. Words Hurt

**A/N:**

 **Well… Let's see what Slender has planned to take down Jane then, shall we?**

So today was the day. Apparently. The day they were finally going to get some sort of plan. Apparently. The day that Slender was going to tell them what to do to fix this mess and track down Jane. Apparently.

So many damn 'apparentlys' in there that Jeff was starting to think that this was going to be a day just like any other! All morning, nothing different had happened. All afternoon, nothing had happened. Now it was starting to get dark and still nothing had happened. He hadn't seen Slender all day. No one had. Well maybe Rochelle had but that was kind of default by this point. Jeff huffed, stirring his makeshift meal of spaghetti since it was the only thing that he had left. He was restless, and he was bored. So the fact that he was stuck waiting around for a plan that might not happen to track down a ghost killer who made him look bad, was not helping.

But at least he had company. Ben was sitting on the other side of the table from him at his laptop as usual, and Toby was making some food for himself. At least that's what they assumed he was doing, because they were pretty sure you didn't soak goggles in soup…

"What?" He asked innocently when he caught them staring, "It's the best way to burn the dirt and blood off."

"And screen cleaner wouldn't do that?" Ben asked casually.

"Yeah. But this doesn't have that gross chemical smell."

"So paprika and vinegar is better?"

"…yeah."

"Idiot." Jeff hissed under his breath.

Ben gave him a look, "Someone's more irritable than usual today."

Jeff gave him a flat look and went back to his food. He was not in the mood to be patronised today, "Whatever…"

Ben rolled his eyes, "You going to say what's up or are you going to brood?"

"Not brooding… And you know damn well what's up! Slender's wimping out on us again! Not making the same mistake twice, my ass! He's just-"

"Don't hold back, Jeffy-boy, let it all out." Ben snickered, resting his elbow on the table like he was playing agony-aunt.

"I'm serious! I'm sick of this shit! It's just like last time! Should have gone out on my own earlier…"

"Yeah and have Alice drag us out with her to pick you up again."

At the mention of her name, Jeff jolted as if someone had just punched him in the gut, his hand dropping his fork back into the bowl, "AGH! Son of a-"

"You got sauce in your eye again didn't you," Ben smirked.

"Shut up…" He growled, rubbing under his eye sourly, trying to stop it watering, "And it wouldn't be like last time. She can piss off and so can you."

"Touchy… What did she do this time?"

"Don't want to talk about it." He said warningly.

"Oh," Toby grinned, "So that means you did something. Hey-"

Jeff had thrown his fork at him, "I didn't do nothing! Just drop it alright, I'm too pissed off as it is to talk about that bitch."

Ben nodded at Toby in agreement, grinning wryly, "Yup, he definitely did something."

"No I fucking didn't! Anyway you're one to talk."

"What do you mean?" The ghost arched an eyebrow at him, tone dropping a little.

There was a silence as if Jeff didn't want the answer to the question he was about to ask. But if it meant distracting them from questioning him about an event with Alice he didn't remember, he would damn well go for it! Plus it would be a tiny distraction for himself too about how angry he was at Slender hiding from them like this.

"What the hell did I walk in on yesterday with you and the newbie?"

Ben didn't even blink. He just continued his collected stare, resting his hand on his palm where his elbow was rested. He looked, almost amused by the question, half expecting it. What could he say, he liked the attention and he like causing confusion. So sometimes Jeff was an easier target than Trixie, "Hasn't she been around long enough to ditch the 'newbie' nickname?"

"No. Don't avoid the question."

"Fair enough," He shrugged, ignoring Toby's curious look, "You walked in on me giving her lessons on sign-language. We were done, so I thought I'd mess with her a little."

"Mess with her…?"

"Yeah, you know, make a few moves, see how she reacts." He shrugs, "It's fun."

"So you're not fucking?"

"Jesus is that all you think about?" Ben laughed, "No, we're not fucking. It's just a little fun alright?"

"…fun?"

"In case you haven't noticed, things are a little too tense for my liking around here. She's fun to mess with. Between you and me, I think she likes it."

Jeff continued to look blank for a moment, before sneering, "You ass. Even I'm straight with the women here that nothing's gonna happen here."

"Because none of them want you. Trix definitely wants me. It's fun to lead things along a little," He shrugged, hesitating for a moment before allowing a small genuine smile to tug at the corner of his mouth, "And to be honest, it's not all fun. I'm curious, I mean I want to see where this goes if-"

 _SLAM!_

The boys flinched as the echoing sound of a cupboard door made their ears ring. They all turned around in unison to see the culprit. Trixie. She stood there with a granola bar in her hand and a look of confliction on her face. Upset in her eyes and rage on her face. She glared at Ben hard, lip twitching for just a moment before she turned on her heel and rushed out of there. Slamming the door behind her. The noise echoed off the tilled floor, hitting them in the face hard until it faded. The room fell silent, the air heavy, and very still.

Ben actually felt his jaw drop. Shit… Just… Shit.

Toby gave him a look, "Think she heard all that?"

"Yeah…" Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair. Dam it he hadn't finished speaking! "Yeah, Toby I think she heard all that."

"Oh… You done goofed."

"Too right he has," Jeff snorted, clapping Ben on the shoulder, "Looks like funs over for you, bud."

Ben slapped his hand away. He hadn't finished speaking. She didn't hear it all! Did it even matter? Looks like there was nothing left to do but take a saying out of Jeff's book. It seemed to fit so well, "Shut up…"

* * *

Jane was curled in her dank hovel once again. Another corpse freshly added to her pile. She rubbed her mouth, the blood staining her cheeks a vile rusty brown. Her black lips were glistening, she licked them, tasting the mix of blood and her own venom. Being dead had its perks, she realised. Now that she'd killed herself, she couldn't do it again through her own lips. Handy. It had always been a risk before.

She lowered the collar of her tank top and examined her shoulder. Funny… This was a perk of undead too. The bullet that had pierced her skin from Kate's gun was gone, as was the wound. Come to think of it, it didn't even bleed. But now her pale white skin looked as clear as it had ever been. Her black lips parted to reveal her pointed teeth in a twisted grin. They couldn't touch her…

"I'm winning, Daddy… I'm winning and they don't even know." She whispered, wrapping her arms around herself and trembling, "I-I'm going to bring you back… I don't want to be alone anymore…"

It was all Slender's fault. It was always his fault. He did this and he will fix it. She'd make sure of that. In her warped, Sickness induced mind, she wasn't sure of she had a soul or not. Or if she ever had one. But she knew one thing… that the loneliness she felt would definitely be soul crushing for anyone with one. Only her Daddy could end that. But Daddy was gone…

"Not for long. No. No. Not long now… Wait, Daddy. Wait… I've got them. They'll pay. I got them. I got them!"

"Hey!"

She flashed her dark eyes up in hatred as a muffled yell came from the doorway of the run down apartment she hid inside. Followed by a series of knocks. She didn't answer.

"Hey! Someone in there? This is private property! You're not in trouble, but come out now before I call the cops."

Jane sneered. Humans and their false sense of authority. Daddy had been right. It was laughable. She brushed away the black ooze that had started trickling from her eyes and stood up. Walking across the room to answer the door, "Hello…"

The man blinked in surprise at the… almost otherworldly young woman standing in front of him. He tried his best to recover, a toying smile at his mouth, "Hey there, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

She tilted her head, ignoring his question. This man, he was… emitting Sickness. It smelled glorious. Her mouth watered, "You have dark intentions with me, don't you?"

He blinked, caught off by her bluntness, "Wuh? I just-"

"Don't worry. I have dark intentions for you…"

The man clearly missed the threat to her tone, instead he smirked, slouching casually against the door, "Well then, in that case why don't we go somewhere a little less… Christ what is that smell?"

"Death." She answered, lashing out and grabbing the stranger by the throat, her poison nails digging into his skin and cutting off any hope of a scream. Blood washed over her fingers, and a tight, manic grin pulled at her face as she dragged him closer, teeth exposed and grazing his cheek, "It was my Daddy's favourite…"

Food… So much food… But it was never enough! Daddy had to fix this! He had to!

* * *

Contrary to what Jeff assumed about Slender, a meeting was indeed called not long after he had voiced his complaints. Also not long after Trixie had stormed out after hearing what Ben had to say about her… Once again the group found themselves in Slender's spacious office. Trixie had crammed herself between Alice and Masky, avoiding all eye contact with anyone who had been in the kitchen at the time. She kept her eyes on Slender instead, trying to give full attention to what he was saying and hopefully pretend that she wasn't suffering from the worlds biggest headache.

Slender hadn't been talking long. In fact he had only just said his hello's and thanked everyone for arriving so quickly after being called. Kate folded her arms, arching an eyebrow and giving one of her looks where it was hard to tell if she was being playful or deadly serious, "Thought ya went and forgot about us, Slendy."

"Yeah, what took you so damn long?" Jeff demanded.

 _Strategy has to be thought out, and we are at a disadvantage… Jane knows we're looking for her now which means she's going to be harder to trace… We need everyone involved to help find her…_

Rochelle nodded, "The poor girl isn't safe, to herself or others."

"No kidding," Kate folded her arms.

"Which is why we have to put her down and be done with this shit!" Jeff insisted.

"She put herself down, remember? Now she's got us all pegged," Alice scowled, "Last I checked, you can't kill ghosts."

"Nope," Ben said, unusually sombre.

"But… you can exorcise them," Shad corrected, bowing his head a little in apology at the look Kate and Ben gave him, "Not that I'd ever, clearly. I don't even know how."

Hoody moved his hands, looking at Slender. Slender nodded, _Yes, I am aware of the process of eliminating spirits…_

Masky tilted his head, "Isn't that something like how you took care of Zalgo?"

Slender hesitated, _Similar… But far more destructive… With spirits it's a delicate process… But I have to be clear, I have no intention of destroying Jane…_

All eyes were on him. Even Toby seemed to think he was crazy, "How come?"

Rochelle looked up at Slender, sympathy in her eyes. She knew how he felt about this, how he blamed himself. It hurt her to see him like this, "Because everyone deserves a second chance."

"Didn't… Didn't we already try and give her a second chance?" Mask asked.

"Right before she killed herself to make herself double the evil?" Alice added.

Slender sighed, _I could have prevented that… This is my second chance to save her…_

Once again the room fell silent. How could Slender think that this was somehow his fault? Of course there were certain people in the group that thought he could have done more but there was no way anyone full out blamed him. Jane was crazy and warped beyond reason by Zalgo. If anyone was to be blamed for that, well Slender had already put an end to them. But so brought the question, what did Slender have planned for when they find Jane?

Hoody gave him a look, hands moving quickly and shaking his head. Masky blinked when he picked up on what his friend was saying, "You don't really want to bring her here?"

Trixie stared, "You… what?"

"Sir, I agree she needs to be contained but what about Jack? Her being here could seriously knock back the progress he's made." Shad insisted.

 _I'm aware, which is why from now on Jack will not be left alone under any circumstances…_

"Where is he now?" Ben asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Smile is watching over him," Rochelle answered.

"Well then…"

"Look ,Slendy, telling us all this all good and proper but what are we gonna do?" Kate cut off.

 _We will bring her here and it will not be easy, but she will be under my watch… So I want all Proxies to be on their guard… I would like Passives to-_

"I'm not staying."

The room feel silent. All eyes turning to see the source of the interruption. Landing on… Trixie? Seriously? Of al people she's the one that interrupted Slender? Even she seemed shocked by her own boldness, face flooding red and eyes aimed at the floor.

Slender tilted his head, _Is something wrong, Beatrix…?_

Trixie swallowed hard, "I-I just… I don't want to stay here. I… I want to feel like I'm doing something other than just drawing."

"Are you nuts?" Ben said suddenly, giving her a look, "You can't defend yourself against Jane."

"It's better than sitting here doing nothing with you- I mean… With other Passive's." She spat, uncharacteristic venom in her tone, looking back up at Slender, almost pleadingly, "I just need to get out."

 _Very well… I was actually going to suggest this anyway…_

Ben blinked, "You're not serio-"

 _I want Actives and Passives to team up… That way we have mental and physical skills working together to fully track down Jane…Beatrix, you are with Alice…_

Trixie exhaled subtly in relief. The fear and panic would set in later, but right now she was okay with this. Alice on the other hand simply rolled her eyes in boredom, "The lag is going to kill us both."

 _Masky and Hoody will go together… Jeff and Rochelle…Kate and Shadow Lurker… Toby and Ben… And as for Jack, he will stay with me… This is going to be a strenuous time on the boy and he needs to know he'll be protected…_

"What are you pairing me up with her for?" Jeff demanded, "She's your woman!"

Rochelle smiled in her usual warm and welcoming fashion, moving her scarlet eyes in Jeff's direction, "Jeffery, I am _a_ woman. Don't get confused… We have been paired up and for this job that is that."

Alice smirked in approval. She didn't often like Rochelle's style, but she had to admit, major brownie points were earned there. Jeff practically growled, knowing he wasn't getting out of this one. But he supposed it could be worse. He could have been paired up with Alice. But still… This week just kept better and better. What next? He and Jane were going to be roommates when they drag her ass back here?!

"When do you want us to leave?" Trixie asked, looking just as eager as the rest to be out in the open.

 _Tonight…_ Slender replied, voice tense, _I only want you all out for a few hours tonight, as a trial period to see how you all work together… Then tomorrow night is when the full searches begin… Good luck to you all…_

Everyone nodded and voiced their agreement to the plan. Maybe it was a good thing they would only be out for a limited time tonight. It was a lot to process and it would take time to get used to all of this. But at least they were at peace knowing that something was being done. They left the room with their new working partners and started going in their own directions to search for Jane. Trixie wasn't surprised when Alice chose to speed walk out, leaving her trailing behind. She kept her own pace, not feeling in the mood to try and impress anyone right now. The hollow feeling in her chest was too noticeable for her to care.

She flinched when someone grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She turned to face the culprit and… oh. It was him, "What, Ben?"

He stood there with a serious expression on his face, "Trix, look what you heard in the kitchen earlier, it wasn't-"

"I don't care, Ben." She sighed, trying to walk away, but he held her wrist firm.

"I just want to set you straight. It wasn't what you… I mean I wasn't finished talking when you-"

"Ben, I just said I don't care. I've got to go anyway, Alice is waiting for me."

"But I just-"

"For christs sake, I don't care!" She yanked her arm free of his grasp, taking a few steps back, "I don't know how many times I've asked you to do this, Ben, but this time you'd better listen," She stared at him coldly. The hollow feeling spreading like wildfire, "Leave. Me. Alone."

For a split second, he could have sworn there was a shake to her tone, like she was holding something back. But before he had a chance to call her out on it, she was already gone. Half running down the hall, leaving him with nothing but his thoughts, a flicker of rage at himself, and Toby waving at him from the opposite direction.

"Hey, Ben! You coming?"

"Yeah…" He huffed, running his hands through his hair and adjusting his hat half-heartedly, who gave a shit anymore? "Yeah whatever… I'm coming."

 **A/N:**

 **Well… Ben certainly knows how to put his foot in it doesn't he? And now everyone is branching off to hunt down Jane. I wonder how that one's going to go… Ah well. Find out in the next chapter! Thanks again for the support guys!**


	6. Into the Dark

**A/N:**

 **So last time, we saw Ben really mess things up, everyone was paired up and on their way our to start the official search for Jane. What could possibly go wrong next? XD**

As the group disbursed as ordered, Rochelle lingered behind a moment. Jeff wasn't happy at all about the arrangement of being partnered with her for this mission so he had no issue with storming off at the first sign of her holding back. Maybe if he walked fast enough he'd lose her and he could do this thing on his own like he wanted. She on the other hand, stayed behind until everyone had gone out of sight and hopefully earshot.

She looked up at Slender, her red eyes examining his expressionless face. It wasn't disapproval she was feeling, it was something else. She didn't feel that it was her place to question him right now. Not when she knew his fears were drifting so close to the surface. But there were things on her mind she needed him to know right now. They'd promised one another honesty. This was as good a time as any for it.

"Mon cher…"

Slender wasn't dumb. He knew that tone, _What's the matter, my dear…?_

"I… I don't think sending them out like this is a good idea."

 _So you have told me… I assumed you going with them would lesson your fears… With both of us out there at least it'll be safer…_

"Oui I agree but I just have a bad feeling, cher," She rubbed her elbows slowly, shaking her head, "I sense something will go terribly wrong."

That made him stop. Whenever she sensed something, it was time to listen, _Do you know what that might be…?_

"No… It frustrates me, I can't do a thing about it!"

 _Yes, you can…_ Slender assured gently, _My dear by both of us going out there to watch over and assist then, we lessen the chance of risk… You have done so much for them… Don't fret that we'll fail them now, because I know we will not…_

Rochelle looked up at him, the worry not leaving her eyes, "I know you won't fail them, cher. I fear that… that I will. Or that the fates won't be in our favour. I'm scared, cher…"

Her voice quietened to a whisper. Her arms holding herself tightly to try and pass on comfort but it just wasn't working. She knew Slender had his own fears. She knew he feared losing one of them, or failing to bring Jane back to sanity again. She felt selfish for voicing her own fears at a time like this but she couldn't help it. There was just an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and a sense of foreboding in the air. Something could go wrong… Something would go wrong, she knew it!

She froze when she felt him standing closer to her, but leant closer when his arms closed around her. She needed that, even if the fears didn't leave. He sighed, _My dear, I can't tell you not to be scared… But I can tell you that no matter what fears come our way, we'll face them… I promised that we would not be repeating past events, and I meant it…_

It took a little while before she spoke again, letting his words sink in. Finally, she looked up at him, standing on her tip toes to peck his chin lightly, "Mon cher, I know you mean that. I just hope I'm wrong…"

 _Trust yourself, Rochelle… You are more than capable of handling all of the Proxies alone as well as protecting yourself… I don't doubt for a moment that whatever you sense tonight, is nothing you can not deal with… That's why I chose you to watch over Jeffery…_

Rochelle sighed, trying not to smile. She still didn't like this, but she could only agree that precautions had to be made with everyone going out. Especially with Jeff being in the mood he was in. She hugged him back, "Flattery will get you nowhere, cher."

 _I'm aware… I was only being honest…_

She resisted the urge to scold him, the twisted worry still writhing in her stomach. But there really was nothing else to be done here. She'd put her point across, he had listened, and they were choosing this as the best option. What else was there? "I'll go and catch up with Jeff."

 _Be safe, my dear…_ Slender said quietly.

She nodded, touching his face softly before stepping away, "Et vous, mon cher."

* * *

Darkness was a good cover, Trixie thought, but damn it was cold. She hugged her jacket tight around her. Her head hung low, now only to avoid the cold on her face, but also to hide her eyes from Alice. Deliberately trailing behind her to stay out of her way, and try to get her own thoughts together. What she overheard in the kitchen with Toby, Jeff and… and Ben it, well, it hurt. She didn't expect it to and she didn't want it to. But there it was, hurting. Did she really expect anything different from him? She knew from the start that he was just messing with her head for fun. It was all just a game to him. Of course he wasn't going to listen when she told him to stop. Of course he was just toying with her. Why did she feel so damn angry and hurt when she heard him admit it? She expected this… Nothing had changed…

"Keep it moving, newbie." Alice snapped over her shoulder.

"Sorry," Trixie muttered back, "Shoe's giving me a blister." Not really a lie, she'd worn these shoes every day since arriving with the group, it was a miracle they weren't falling off her feet.

"Then get new ones."

"No money…"

"Shame, you could do with something of a little more value. Then again I can't exactly see you tottering around in heels so maybe you're better off with those."

Trixie wasn't in the mood to stay quiet like usual, neither was she in the mood for a fight. She just… didn't want to be here or there or anywhere right now, "Maybe I am."

"Good. It's the first two rules for female killers," Alice shrugged passively, "Don't wear heels and don't wear perfume."

Trixie tilted her head, "I understand why you shouldn't wear heels, but perfume?"

"Takes away the surprise if they smell you before you strike. And it might be a traceable clue if you buy the expensive stuff." To prove her point she reached into her bag and pulled out a fancy, curved spray bottle made of glass and filled with a rose-tinted liquid. Trixie had to admit, that did look pricey.

Maybe talking wasn't a bad thing. It was a good distraction, "They pay you a lot for singing then? And… why bring it with you if you don't use it?"

"Habit. And not really, but I sing a lot. It adds up. Why? Thinking of being my competition?"

"No thank you." Trixie shook her head, "The stage is not for me."

"Shocker..."

"Some extra money wouldn't be a bad thing though. Even if it was just to replace this…" She looked down at the purple hoody she'd pretty much worn down over the months. It was starting to fray and she couldn't quite get rid of the stain on the side where Zalgo had blasted her with a Sickness shot.

"Yeah, it's getting pretty gammy," Alice answered bluntly, "Still got the scar under there?"

She nodded, "Yeah, still hurts a little, but it's healed for the most part."

"What was it like?"

"I'm guessing like being shot would feel like in general," She shrugged, then sighed, "But with more burning and depression piled on top."

"Bummer," Alice stated, going silent a minute before tugging down the collar of her shirt to reveal the bare skin around her shoulder, revealing a thick scar settled right between her collarbone and shoulder joint, "Stab wound."

Trixie blinked, "That looks painful… That isn't from-"

"Who? Jeff?" Alice cut off with a dry laugh, "He wishes. No, this was from another ass-wipe."

"What happened?"

"Was before this lifestyle. Had a disagreement with someone not worth the stress."

"Oh…"

Great, the silence came back. Along with her thoughts. She didn't want the silence to come back. But apparently neither did Alice. After a couple of minutes, she started talking again, "Not that Jeff still left his own little mark on me. Mostly a migraine."

Did she smile at that or not? Better had to be on the safe side, "Yeah, I know that feeling."

"I'm surprised the world doesn't have that feeling by this point."

"Why are you being so nice? Or talkative anyway. You hate me." She stated suddenly. She didn't really know why but this was all sounding too casual and normal for them.

"I don't hate you, newbie. You're just weak and I don't handle weak well." Alice shrugged, then noticed Trixie's conflicted look, rolling her eyes, "You're improving if that helps."

"I'm… really not sure to be honest."

"Well Ben seems to like it…"

Trixie nearly choked on the air she was breathing, a burn of anger flicking in her chest, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Alice smirked as if she'd gotten the exact reaction she wanted, "Ben's been tailing you for weeks and his eyes wander if you get my meaning, you seriously haven't noticed?"

This was good. It meant Jeff hadn't had the chance to tell her what he saw. Oh for gods sake there had been nothing to see! "I've noticed. But I'm done with him."

"Done?" Her usually icy eyes flashed curiously, then smugly, "Oh shit… Were you two fucking?"

Why the hell did people keep asking that?! "No! No we were not and we won't ever. Just leave me alone alright…"

She did not, "Looks like I've touched a nerve there… Look, newbie, honestly whatever's going on with you two, I wouldn't normally care. But it's messing with your head which means you're going to make for a shitty partner tonight and I don't do mistakes. So out with it."

Trixie didn't know what to do. Or say for that matter. In some way, she knew that Alice was right. Her head just wasn't in the right place for a search mission out in the dark. Too much was buzzing around in there. She wanted to talk but… was Alice the best person? Not really but it didn't look like she had a choice in the matter. The best she could do was prepare for ridicule again and get this over with. Unless there was a chance of dropping it?

"It's nothing. So, do we have a plan for tonight or just walking around until-"

"Bullshit," Alice cut her off with a knowing look, not necessarily unfriendly but at least more patient than usual, "Talk."

So much for that plan. She sighed, "What's there to say?"

"Well, you're not fucking. So what did happen?"

Trixie felt her face burn, starting to get more than annoyed with people's assumptions. She took a breath, "Alright, alright… I-It was after we got Jack back. Ben… Ben kissed me. Just, you know, really quickly and then… Nothing. Well," She felt ridiculous saying this out loud, "He just kept saying things, giving me little looks and, then he offers to teach me sign language to understand Hoody and…"

"And it's fireworks and rainbows and you just feel too scared to make the next move?" Alice mocked, batting her eyelashes like she was watching some cheap chick flick happen, "How sweet."

"Shut up!" Trixie snapped suddenly, glaring at her, "I took enough shit without you adding to it!"

Alice blinked, "This… is really screwing with you isn't it?"

"It is, thanks for noticing…" She sighed, not wanting to get this angry. But once it started it just didn't stop, "I hate it. I told him to leave me alone, or at least back off a little, but he just didn't. He kept coming back with more comments and more looks and he kept getting closer and then- Then I hear him in the kitchen earlier telling Jeff and Toby that it's all a game. It's all a fucking game and the worse thing is that I knew it. I knew it but-"

Alice blinked, holy hell this was big if it got Trixie swearing, "But it still screws with you. That he'd do all that for fun, not thinking about how it plays you."

Trixie gave her a cautious look, "Yeah… How did-"

She tapped the area of her shoulder where the scar lay hidden, "I knew a guy like that once."

"Oh…"

"Problem with Ben is, he can't die so… Good luck."

"I don't want to kill him. I just want to get away from him."

Alice tilted her head, "Has he said anything since?"

She nodded against her better judgement, "He said he wanted to explain, that I didn't hear all of it."

"Yeah," She rolled her eyes, "That's usually how it goes. What did you say?"

"I told him I didn't care and to leave me alone." There was that hollow feeling again.

"Then what?"

"Nothing. I joined you, he went with Toby. That's it."

Alice did a double take. Looking at her as if trying to figure out where the lie was, "Newbie, Ben doesn't leave people alone."

"Well he is now…" She shrugged.

"No, you know Ben. If someone is mad at him, or in general, he pushes buttons, he doesn't let go. If anything he takes the term haunting to a whole new level. There's no way in hell he just let you leave without putting up a fight."

"Well he did and hopefully it'll stay that way."

Alice rolled her eyes, hesitating a moment before continuing, "The guy I knew, he never listened. He never left me alone and… Yeah, I'll admit, it didn't work so well for me. It ended a lot worse for him first but… I was messed up." She smirked, "More so than now."

Out of caution, Trixie chose not to respond to that, "Alice, what're you getting at?"

"I'm saying, take your time to get your head back together. Then talk to him." She shrugged passively, "Trust me. It's a one in a million chance a guy leaves you alone when you ask. Take that opportunity like it's the worlds last diamond or some shit. Then… I don't know, talk. I'm not going to walk you through this."

"I don't want you to. I didn't want to bother you with all this."

"It's no bother on me, I'm not the one going through a domestic. It's just my advice to you, take the opportunity, get your head together, deal with the problem whatever way it ends up being. Either way, it's better than a knife in the shoulder right?"

"I guess… Cuz I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."

"To be honest, newbie, I don't think any of us know anymore." She sighed, "But we're still here. That's worth something, right?"

"Yeah. It's worth a lot."

The silence came back. But it was different this time. Not so still and cold at least anyway. Trixie didn't even know where to begin to understand the workings of Alice's mind. It was all well and good talking now. But for all she knew, it would be back to square one of mockery and iciness. Right now though, she didn't care. At least now she had some stepping stones in front of her rather than just feeling isolated. She still had no idea what to do about Ben, or even if there was anything to do about him. But there were options.

"Ready to continue?" Alice asked.

"Yeah… Thanks, for the talk."

"Don't get used to it." She half smiled, "Just let me know how it goes. It's interesting seeing drama that doesn't involve Jeff for once."

She rolled her eyes, but then felt a little guilty. Here they were on a mission that could be more dangerous than any of them expected. And there she was complaining about someone who doesn't even care, "I-Is there um, is there anything you want to talk about? Or need to?"

Alice didn't answer for a minute, as if thinking about what to say. But finally, a crooked smile twitched the corner of her mouth, "Nah… Tell you what, newbie, you can have tonight. But next time we're paired up, it's all about me, deal?"

Trixie smiled a little, nodding gratefully, "Deal."

* * *

It was strange how quickly the nights fell cold when the day had been so warm. Masky zipped up his jacket all the way to his neck, his breath misting through the gaps in his mask. But at least he and Hoody were onto something. They were fast, more experienced, so it made sense for them to cover the more populated areas of a nearby town that Jane would most likely be hiding in. Especially if she was tracking the group. They were good at staying hidden, not making a noise and keeping an eye out for what they needed. It wasn't the person they were looking for, that was too specific. They just needed signs and tails. They opened up the field a considerable amount.

Masky scaled a fire escape at the side of a tall building, a hotel it looked like from the amount of people walking in and out of it. He stopped half way and scouted out across the next couple of streets. Nothing. No signs, nothing strange, nothing bad. Which he wasn't sure was a good thing. Well it was good, meaning no danger, but bad when you're trying to find something.

He looked down, spotting Hoody from his hiding place and made a quick hand gesture. Clean.

Hoody nodded and beckoned him back down to join him. Staying hidden until they were side by side. He indicated to the next road over, moving his hands with a questioning look.

"It's worth a try. Sense anything down here?"

He shook his head, Hands moving again, this time his look was more serious.

"I know… But who knows? Maybe things being too quiet is a good thing for once?"

Hoody just have him a look.

Masky sighed, "Yeah okay, fine, I don't believe that either…"

Hoody rolled his eyes and clapped his friend on the shoulder to get him moving. They had a lot of ground to cover before the night was out. Masky obeyed and the two continued to work their way out into the dark again. They repeated the process over and over. There was nothing to find, nothing to hear, nothing to see. It was near infuriating. They couldn't go back without something. It was this kind of stubbornness that got them in trouble in the first place. They just hoped they had learned from past mistakes.

The early light of morning was starting to rise. Ever so slowly turning the sky a pale hue. They were both exhausted. It was getting to the point when they would either have to turn back and face having to tell Slender there was nothing to find. Or they'd stay out longer and risk having a search party made for them as well as Jane. It was between a rock and a hard place.

Masky leaned against a wall of a building that looked pretty run down. Definitely not somewhere anyone would like to stay around for long. Which made it a stable resting point for them, "Admit defeat or… waste everyone's time. Oh this isn't good…"

Hoody sighed, nodding. He shrugged, fingers moving against his palms. It's an easy choice to make.

"Yeah… Alright. Let's just hope some of the others have had better luck than- Hey!"

In a split second, Hoody had gone from leaning against the wall with his friend to grab him by the front of the jacket to yank him forward. His eyes trained upwards on one of the upper windows of the building. He span Masky around and pointed upwards so he could see it too. Evidently he did, because they both fell deadly still.

Although the building was run down and mostly boarded up, there were a few windows that were still in tact. They must be in the process of moving people out it seemed. But that's not what they were interested in. They were more focussed on one window in particular. To anyone who wasn't looking hard enough, it would look like there had been a fire in that room. Maybe at one point there had be, but it wasn't likely. The brickwork around the window was black, the brick half worn away and uneven. It looked acidic. Hot and putrid as if the wall itself was still burning. It was dripping with something. Something deadly.

"Jesus…" Masky whispered, "I've never seen that much Sickness in one place before."

Hoody nodded, wondering just how much more of it was inside for it to overflow like that. He made a letter J with his hands.

"Yeah… It has to be. Quick, we tell Slender before she shows up."

No one was arguing with that one. They knew that it would be suicide to run in there alone. Then no one would find out about this. Or if they did, it would be too late. It was best to go back and report what they'd found. This was insane. What was Jane doing up there to create that much Sickness all on one place? The amount of suffering she'd caused must be overwhelming. Unless it was her that was suffering… They weren't sure how to feel about that. They had a job to do. Sympathy would have to wait.

Sickness was gathering and spreading rapidly. Who knows if it was infecting the other residence of this place. If there were any left. It was hard to tell by this point. They used the little energy they had left to get back to the others. They couldn't waste any more time. Enough had been done already. Time was running out.

For the rest of the group, the night continued. The cold drew in further. The group returned home when morning started to arrive. Nothing had managed to progress and no one had seen Jane. Needless to say, it had been mostly a failure of a search for everyone. The only thing hey could do is return back to their home and rest, report what they'd found and be ready to try again the next night.

 **A/N:**

 **So the trail hasn't necessarily gone cold. But what's the next move going to be now? So many things could go wrong and there's still so many questions that need answering! Until next time!**


	7. Stakeout

**A/N:**

 **So they've made a discovery! At last… But what does it mean for the rest of the team? Is Jane finally going to get caught? Is the nightmare over or just starting? Read on to find out…**

Upon hearing what Hoody and Masky had discovered, naturally the search was scheduled to continue the following night. It wasn't unusual for the Active Proxies to go out for two nights in a row. But for the Passives it was something to adjust to. They'd slept, or in some cases hid, for most of the day, avoiding one another I order to get as much rest as possible before meeting again just before nightfall. Slender used the same team combinations as the previous night, but this time they were all designated to the same round about area.

That didn't mean they had to cross paths, they just had to be alert and hope for the best. The half run down apartment building looked pretty much as it had the previous night. Only the Sickness around that one particular window had grown. It looked as though it was turning the brick to rot which by all accounts should be impossible. But then again, a lot of things were going on lately that should be impossible. They didn't know what to expect here. All they knew was that Slender had given them clear instructions and they were to follow.

However, that being said, the instructions they had been ordered to follow were very basic. They just had to stay in their groups, and make sure that no one went in or out of this building. Not exactly the hardest job around when so few people lived here anyway. But they understood why. It was so they could keep an eye out for Jane. Just because this place was Sickness infested, did not mean that it was strictly caused by Jane. This could be an overactive Proxy, or a portal that had been left open for too long. But better safe than sorry.

Besides, they all knew where this was going.

Alice and Trixie were covering the streets behind the building, where more Sickness residue was found. Ben and Toby took the right, Jeff and Rochelle took the left while Masky and Hoody took the front. As for Shad and Kate, their skills meant they were more capable of searching the surrounding perimeter without drawing attention, just in case Jane had already left or had set up shop elsewhere. Slender had Jack firmly at his side as they did likewise in keeping an eye out around the perimeter.

All in all, they knew it wasn't the best plan. But they couldn't risk just running in there when they had no idea what they were up against. Unfortunately it was back to the waiting game. But at least they were playing the waiting game out in the open and close to the issue rather than being stuck inside. They just had to count the pros as well as the cons apparently…

"This is bullshit."

Rochelle sighed, "Language."

"I'm just saying. Jane is right in there. What the hell are we waiting for?" Jeff hissed.

"We are waiting for Slender's orders. If we go inside now without knowing what to expect… Well I've heard the stories." Her voice turned quiet, just trying not to imagine the horrors that they must have seen while she was locked away, "We want to be cautious."

"If you ask me we're sitting ducks," He muttered, anger bubbling close to the service. It was one thing being allowed out, it was another to be trapped doing nothing while being allowed out. And with her of all people! "Why am I stuck with you again?"

At that, she chuckled lightly, "Because I agree with Slender that you need to be watched right now."

"Watched?!"

"Oui. If one of us wasn't here, no doubt you'd be surrounded in Sickness because you acted too harshly."

"Great. So everyone thinks I can't be trusted."

"I did not say that, Jeff."

"Then what are you saying? That Slender's right and Slender knows best and I'm just going to screw everything up? Thanks!"

She sighed, knowing he wanted a reaction from her, a fight. But she refused to give him one, "Jeff, I am going to tell you something and I want you to listen. No one is saying that you're messing up. We are simply saying that it's best to keep together this time. No more risks. Which is why Slender is with Jack, and I am with you. You don't have to like it, but that is what it is."

He didn't like it. His arms folded tight, "You keep saying 'we' like it was a joint choice. Sounds like Slender barking orders and you giving in."

Something sparked in her eyes, but she didn't let him see. Instead she kept her calm air about her, "There's a difference between giving in and agreeing with a good decision."

"No, I get it. Slender sets you free and you follow him beck and call. Well I ain't like that."

Again, she kept calm, but she really didn't want to, "He may have set me free, but he also put me there. We are equals now."

"Yeah if that's what you believe."

"It is. Now hush, I'm trying to think."

He growled as she put her hand flat against the wall, drumming a soft beat with her fingers. The Sickness burned. It was fused with the building now. She felt a pang of sorrow, knowing it was too late to save anyone inside. No doubt anyone living in this building, who knows why they would, had already been infected. Jane had really been working hard… She sighed, sometimes there really was just nothing they could do to help. She just wished that Slender would hurry and tell them what to do. She didn't agree with Jeff that rushing in there, but she did agree that perhaps they'd been staying outside a little too long. It made her worry…

"So?" Jeff demanded, giving her a flat look.

"So?" She took her hand away, brushing off the ash that stuck to her palms, "Sickness is strong here."

"No shit."

"Language."

"Alright, stop with the den mother crap," He snapped, "It's getting old and I don't need it!"

"Jeff… I think you do," She sighed, turning to look at him, "I'm not trying to be a den mother, I just want all of us to be safe. But you're so… scared, and it's-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there. I am not scared!"

"I am not Alice, Jeff, you don't have to act tough around me."

"What the hell?" Jeff stared at her, "I don't have to listen to this."

"But you should at least hear it," She insisted, "Jeff, you are panicking because you want this threat to be over, but we all want that. You're not alone so stop acting like you are. As for Slender, I don't agree with him on everything. But today, I agree that staying put and playing safe is best for now. So if you're going to panic, panic. But do not blame others in the process. I am not trying to be a den mother or authority figure, Jeff… I just want what we all want, safety."

He glared at her, but he couldn't find a way to argue with her. He would not admit to panicking. He wouldn't admit to anything. But… she shut him up. That was an event in itself. In some way, he was agreeing with one thing she said, he wanted this threat over with. This sucked major ass…

"For the record, I'm not acting tough for anyone. I'm not even acting."

"Oui," She nodded, allowing him the stubbornness at least and hiding a small smile, "Go on…" She smiled knowingly.

"Go on what?" He asked moodily, slowly figuring out that raised voices didn't get anywhere with her.

"Go and join them," She chuckled lightly, "I know you want to, and I can handle myself perfectly well, merci."

He gave her a suspicious look, "There's a trap here, I know it."

"I am not Alice. She is over there," Her smile twitched, like she wanted to add something specific but chose not to, "You're free to join her. The others also of course."

"Why do you keep bringing her up? I make my own choices."

"Oui, but still…" She chuckled at his scowl, "If you wish to stay here?"

He'd already started walking, "I'm gone."

* * *

"Shadow-man, if ya don't slow down I swear I'll throw a rock at ya again."

Shad sighed, "I apologise, Kate, but really we need to keep moving."

"Yeah I agree with ya, but moving for you means slithering and I ain't no snake."

"Neither am I I'd like to add."

Kate rolled her eyes, "Lighten up, shadow-man."

Shad shook his head. Although he liked Kate and found her company pleasant, she couldn't help but be somewhat irritating when he was trying to be serious, "We have a possible location on Jane and if she's not in the apartment building then it's our job to continue the search."

"Ya don't say," She smirked, "I'm messing with ya, shadow-man. I know this is serious stuff but that don't meant we have to let it get to our heads. Jane comes close and…" She patted her holster pointedly.

"She can't die and Slender ordered us to bring her to him. Shooting won't make a difference."

"I know that," She rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to lighten the mood here shadow-man, what's got y'all so jittered up? Well, more than usual anyway."

"I am fine. I just have a lot to think about. For one, how do you subdue someone who can do… well pretty much all that we can."

"Ah if ya ask me she ain't got nothin' on all us. Sure she's dangerous and a few dimes short of a dollar but… We can take her. So quit your worrying."

This had been going back and forth since they'd left the group. Shad over thinking as usual and Kate reminding him that they had the upper hand here. They both understood that Jane really was a threat to them. Her abilities were monstrous when she combined them as she did and the level of Sickness she produced was concerning. But she was not mentally stable enough to really control what she was doing. The stress of coming into afterlife couldn't have sat well with her. In short, she was a threat, but only in certain situations. Kate just believed that such situations would be rare and therefore not enough of a worry. Shad however, seemed more occupied in searching towards a certain direction, only to backtrack and repeat the process.

It didn't take long to figure out the pattern on Kate's behalf, "Your girl keeping tabs on ya or something?"

He stiffened, "I don't have to answer that."

"That's answer enough."

"We have a job to do, Kate."

"You got two. Jane and Emily."

He gave her a look, "That just sounds wrong."

She snorted, "Y'all know what I mean."

"It is not a crime to ensure that no Sickness trails are headed towards the direction of a friend."

"Nope. Not a crime to check in on your girl neither."

"How many times must we have this conversation before you stop?" He asked irritably. Honestly he should be used to the teasing by now but he was very defensive of Emily, especially when certain things were implied, "I care about her safety as I do with all of those on our side."

"Sure, if ya say so…" She left her implications hanging in the air. She knew a line not to cross when she saw one. It was just fun to wind him up a little, get his mind out of seriousness and try to loosen up. Easier said than done but it was interesting to try.

Shad gave her a flat look, then sighed and continued on his way. He understood that she was just looking for a way to keep them calm and pass the time. But he was very touchy about the subject of Emily. He was aware of how unorthodox their friendship was, and dangerous, but he didn't want anything to happen to her. He'd never forgive himself if she was hurt by something of his world. So if he had to take a few detours to make sure that nothing was heading her way. He was going to take them. He could handle a little teasing in the process. If it meant peace later.

The two continued in the usual back and forth banter. Meaning that she would try and poke fun of him in a friendly but blunt manner and he would refuse to rise to it. Or more likely, he would rise to it in a way that sounded civil enough to be disguised. The cycle continued, with the occasional use of real conversation and note of observation. The night got darker, but the streetlamps and moonlit chill kept their senses alert.

In time, even Shad was starting to wonder if perhaps it was really worthwhile scouting the area like this. It wasn't that he was disrespecting Slender's orders and he understood the need to be cautious it was just that the likelihood of finding anything was growing slimmer and slimmer. He pressed his hand to another building wall, as Rochelle had, trying to sense out the Sickness. But it was clean. Just like all the others he'd checked. If there was a sign of Jane being around here, then it certainly wasn't Sickness related.

"Perhaps we should inform Slender of our findings," He admitted in defeat.

"Ya mean that we ain't got nothin'?" She quipped with an arched eyebrow.

"That there was nothing to report in this area and we'll continue the search elsewhere." He corrected.

"Call it what ya like, shadow-man."

"There has to be something," He sighed as they walked back, taking a different route just to make sure they had covered as much area as possible on their way back to the apartment building, "Slender must have sensed something around here or else he wouldn't have sent us here. But what? I presume that it was something with Sickness, his senses keen to it and all. But maybe there was an event he forgot to mention that would be significant or-"

"You're rambling again."

"Oh, sorry." He cleared his throat, "I just don't see why Slender would send us here if there was nothing to find."

"Personally, I don't think he would. Maybe he did sense something and Jane's just a might smarter than we thought."

"That's unnerving…"

"Ain't it," She agreed, "But we're smarter and we got more on our side so fretting ain't gonna-oof!"

Shad had swung out an arm to block her path, his elbow colliding into her stomach, "Stop."

She gave him a look and adjusted her hat. Small traces of warning in her tone, "Shadow-man there are better ways to hush me up, ya hear?"

"I'm wasn't aware," He muttered before pointing out to a park a few blocks ahead of them. Something… putrid and dark was right in the middle of it, "Do you see that?"

Kate chose to let him have that little comeback for what it was worth, gold eyes narrowing to look ahead and try to seek out what he was pointing at. It didn't take long for her to see it. She stepped forward cautiously, hand ready at her gun in her holster just in case. What they saw, was Sickness. Only it wasn't just a patch like a murder would leave or a simple death. It was stretched out, blotted along the ground as if someone had dragged the victim away. But whereas a drag would be faint and continuous, this was set in large, obvious blotches that led away down the street and around a corner.

The two exchanged a look, following the stains around the corner only to find that there were multiple more. This wasn't just one victim dragged away. This was multiple victims killed and stolen the entire way through! Shad swallowed dryly, daring to crouch down and trace a fingertip along one of the stains. Only to recoil in a split second where his ashen skin burned like fire. This was cold-blooded, deliberate, planned out Sickness killings.

"That's not just residue," Shad muttered, pointing a finger to follow the smudges up the road and out of sight, "This is a trail."

"Trails made with Sickness?" Kate asked sceptically, putting a hand on her gun, "Nuh-uh, Shadow-man, this is a trap."

"But not for us…"

"No, or the end of the trail would be here. The trap's waitin' on the other end."

Shad furrowed his brow, trying to figure out where a trap would lead to. But then it hit him, cold like an icy wind, "The apartment building! Jane wants everyone there!"

"Well going to warn them would just give her what she wants! We gotta think of something."

"We don't have a choice, Kate. Unless… Unless we get close enough to contact Slender without getting caught ourselves?"

"Best shot we got. Lets move."

He nodded his agreement and sped off with her, "It seems your unnerving thought is true. Jane really is smarter than we thought…"

* * *

At least it wasn't as chilly as it was the previous night. That's one blessing Trixie was counting for herself. That, and at least Alice wasn't so snappy since they weren't moving around so much and just waiting. It was a little scary thinking that this building could very well be the start of the end of this nightmare, or maybe just the continuation of it. Jane could be watching them right now, or be on the other side of the world by now and… they wouldn't know. She shivered.

"Don't freak out on me." Alice reminded.

"I'm not, it's just chilly."

"Keep it that way." She sighed, brushing off some grime from a trash can before perching on top of it, "I'm so bored of this…"

"You're not scared?"

"Scared isn't the right word. I'm cautious, but still bored. You?"

"Yeah," Trixie nodded, sighing, "I am but… I don't know, because I don't know what to expect I guess."

"Understandable." Alice smirked wryly, "Just think, if you die you won't have to put up with Ben's shit anymore."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Trixie muttered coldly, "And I thought today was supposed to be about you since I had yesterday."

"You're right," She shrugged, "I'm good."

Trixie gave her a look, and wasn't sure if this was a joke or not. But she chose to give a weak smile all the same and have done with it. She was glad to have just let out a few truths yesterday, it felt like a tiny weight off her shoulders. But it didn't change much. It didn't mean they were friends, it didn't fix any of her concerns or anger with Ben, and it didn't make the situation they were in with Jane any better. But it was a small fleck or normalcy that she had really needed. Now, it was back to the usual routine. She knew that. It was just… hard.

"Slender should be back soon, right?"

Alice shrugged, "With any luck, but when do we ever have that?"

"I guess. What if Jane shows up before that?"

"Then our luck will be right on track."

Trixie rolled her eyes, unable to argue with that one either. She sighed, her breath turning to mist in the air in front of her. Things weren't necessarily quiet. There was the faint murmur of life from the surrounding area and the whistle of wind in the cold. It was oddly peaceful in a way. Such a shame that it was shattered by two familiar voices getting louder and louder as they headed their way. Trixie swallowed hard, eyes narrowing and she turned around to focus her attention the other way. She did not want to see at least one of these people.

"And out luck strikes early," Alice sighed, turning around and giving the two figures a look, "What the hell are you two doing here?"

From around the corner, Toby and Ben appeared from the shadows. Ben shrugged casually, sneaking a look at Trixie only to find she wasn't even looking at him, "Toby got bored so, you know."

"I wasn't bored," Toby said moodily, like he had just been told off, "You said I was and then said we should go looking for the gi-"

"So, any luck with you guys?" Ben interrupted.

Alice arched an eyebrow, clearly not believing a word, giving Trixie a look, then one to Ben, "No."

"Well then, no sense in going back now huh."

"God you are so transparent." Alice muttered.

Ben chose to ignore that, giving a casual nod in Trixie's direction, "Hey."

Trixie didn't reply. She wasn't giving him the satisfaction. She just kept her attention on the other side of the street, her expression set firm and distant. Ben scowled, not used to being so blatantly ignored, huffing in a way that was almost Jeff-like. Speak of the devil…

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Jeff demanded, storming around from the opposite direction, looking angry, "This some kind of secret club or something?"

"Hey we were here from the start, jackass." Alice shot back.

"And Ben says I got bored." Toby replied with a shrug, "So he made me come here."

"What about you?" Ben asked with a smirk, "Mama bear finally let her cub go, huh?"

"Funny. Patched things up with your toy yet?" Jeff shot back.

"Shut up, Jeff…" Alice hissed.

"What? You're defending this now?"

"No, you're just giving me a headache. Shut it."

"Oh I'm giving you a headache?"

"More so than the night at the club…" She muttered with deliberate aim at him.

"You're bringing that up again?" He snapped, face reddening in anger, what was her deal?!

Trixie had her back turned on them. She wondered if Alice really did just want Jeff to shut up because of reasons, or if she was defending her. She liked to think it was the later, but she didn't get her hopes up. Two reasonably civil conversations didn't amount to much around here. She knew that. She just wanted this night to be over.

"I'm going to go for a walk." She said quietly.

"Yeah sounds like a-"

She turned around sharply to glare at Ben icily, "Alone."

Jeff snorted and received a sharp jab in the ribs by Alice. It was almost painful to watch. Mostly because most of them found the idea of Trixie standing up for herself hilarious. But also because it was so weird seeing it happen. Trixie kept up her look for as long as she thought necessary before turning on her heel and started to walk away. She didn't need to be around this. They didn't need her. She was just moral support for Alice who didn't even need it. Slender would understand. Maybe.

However, she hadn't even made it four steps before the air suddenly went a lot colder. Even the shadows seemed to grow darker, surrounding them in an unbreakable black hole. It was horribly familiar. A feeling growing inside them that they'd only felt around certain beings. One of them, having a nasty habit of showing up exactly when you didn't want them. A sing song voice broke the chill, giggling and seemingly coming from everywhere. They froze, defences at the ready. This was a set up. A trap!

"Did you miss me, friends?"

 **A/N:**

 **So not so much them finding Jane, but Jane finding them. Figures. But now what? Will Shad and Kate get to the others? Slender perhaps? Will Jane put up a good fight? Best keep an eye out until next time! XD**


	8. Twisted Trap

**A/N:**

 **Jane is back for another fight… This can't be good! What's gonna happen next? Read on to find out! XD**

"Did you miss me, friends?"

Trixie felt the air catch in her throat as she took a quick step backwards away from the pale figure. What was she doing here? Wasn't she supposed to be inside the building? Surely someone should have seen her leaving! She backed up until she was standing with the ground again, her heart hammering against her ribs from fear.

The others reacted on instinct, blades, hatchets and fists at the ready. Jane however, didn't seem to care. She sauntered forward, the cold air turning to mist around them as she walked, swirling around her slim legs and only making her black eyes only seem brighter. The silence felt at fragile as ice. One constantly trying to predict the others movements, waiting for the other to crack. The Sickness hung in the air heavily, hitting the back of their throats like dust and ash. They did their best not to get distracted by it. Jane already had the upper hand by showing up out of nowhere like this. They couldn't let anything else get in the way.

Jane smiled as if greeting an old friend from long ago, "It's been so long. I've missed you…"

"Oh yeah, always a pleasure." Ben commented dryly, "Copycat…"

"You didn't kill yourself." She reminded, smirking.

"I know, but I'll take what I can get." Sparks travelled down his arms, promising pain to anyone who got too close, yet his relaxed and almost inviting smile didn't falter. Was he challenging her or playing with her or… both? It was hard to tell by this point.

Jeff gripped his knife tightly, daring to go closer, "So this is where you've been hiding huh? Like a rat!"

Jane giggled, "I haven't been hiding. Just waiting."

"Well here we are! What now, huh? Take your best fucking shot!"

Alice elbowed him sharply, "Shut up, Jeff. This isn't the plan."

Jane's eyes brightened, "You have a plan? Oh I like plans… Do tell? Please? Friends don't keep secrets…"

"I don't think we're friends," Toby commented, surprisingly cold for him, "Slendy isn't-"

"Slenderman?" Jane interrupted with a gleeful flash of teeth, "Take me to him. Now."

The group exchanged a look. Silence fell heavy between them, refusing to give up that information. Slender had, in her mind, killed her father. If she was insane as she'd shown thus far, then who knows what would happen if she came face to face with him. It was too dangerous. Although they knew that Slender could handle himself, if wasn't worth the risk. Jane seemed to pick up on the resistance, her eyes narrowing in warning.

"I want to see Slender. If you don't take me to him, then I'll just have to hurt you. Don't make me hurt my friends… We're good friends. Great friends. Don't want to hurt friends." Her voice wavered, a twitch under her eye as her fists started to clench, "Take me to Slender and I won't hurt you!"

Trixie flinched at the sudden shriek to Jane's voice. For just a split second it sounded more like desperation than anger. As if she were starting to become upset for some reason. A shiver ran down her spine as a horrible thought flickered at the back of her mind. For just a moment there, Jane had started to sound a little like Jack when he'd woken from a nightmare. Suddenly her unease didn't come from fear or intimidation, it was from concern.

She attempted to swallow down her remaining fear, voice shaking, "J-Jane. You don't have to hurt anyone. Just tell us why you want to see Slender so badly."

If it weren't got the fact that the others wanted to make sure all attention was on Jane's movements, they probably would have given her a look wondering what the hell she was doing. Jane didn't share the same caution, baring her teeth in a twisted grin. The shadows suddenly swarmed at Jane's feet like a toxic whirlpool before lashing out to gather around Trixie. The girl yelped in panic, trying to jump back but the moment her converse touched them, she started to sink. All she could do was struggle to keep her balance on the tiny island of land that had been left for her. Panic clawed up her throat, only able to look at Jane for fear of what might happen next.

The others attempted to dart forward and intercept Jane, but the shadows only tried to consume them too if they stepped too close. Ben took to the air, arms reached out to try and grab Trixie from the middle of the darkness, only to be thrown back as a shadow lashed out and collided with his chest. Jane only continued to walk closer, her grin never faltering for a moment as the others were pushed back. She had no problem whatsoever in stepping into the shadow moat she'd created. Her eyes bore down on Trixie's coldly.

"Repeat your question…"

Trixie found It hard to breathe, the shadows felt like ash being swept by the wind and catching in her throat, "J-Jane please-"

The small island of land she was given permission to stand on shrank, forcing Trixie to stand on tip toes to avoid sinking into the blackness.

She tried not to whimper, but damn it she was terrified and now had no choice to disobey, "W-Why do you w-want to see Slender?" She rasped, the dust laying thick in her throat.

"Well… I have a few reasons," Jane chuckled darkly, "One being, oh you know, he killed my daddy…"

"N-No he didn't, Jane. Z-Zalgo wasn't your dad," Trixie insisted, "Just stop, please. W-We can help."

Jane looked at her, as if almost contemplating her offer for a moment, "Such a good little friend… How? Help me, how? I'm so curious."

She wasn't sure what to say. One wrong word and it was all over. Why weren't the others doing anything! She couldn't even see them! It just Jane and Sickness everywhere! "S-Slender can help. Can f-fix your mind. T-Take Sickness away. Please Jane just let go y-you don't have to do this!"

"What if Slender killed your daddy? Would you want their help?"

Tears stung her eyes, but she wasn't sure if it was from fear, or the words themselves, "M-My dad is dead."

"Oh I know, Jeff and Toby took them away… Which means Slender took them away," Jane sneered, "All of them."

"Yes…" Trixie breathed, painful memories moving like snakes along her mind, "But it was a mistake."

Extending a finger, Jane pointed to Trixie's forehead, tracing her skin to remind her that at any second, she could push her into Sickness permanently, "You believe that?"

"I-I do. Slender helped me, Jane, p-please let him try to help you."

Jane looked down at her with a condescending air, showing that she did not believe her for a moment, but was choosing to go along with it. She removed her finger, suddenly breaking into a series of malicious giggles that send a chill through the air, "Oh he'll help me. You're all going to die from just how much he'll help me."

Before Trixie could feel the full affect of that statement, there was a sheen of metal in the air followed by a sickening squelch. She flinched when something splattered on her face, overbalancing. Jane recoiled, the shadows disbursing and bringing the buildings back into view. Trixie fell against a wall, pressing herself close to it to as much as possible to avoid getting attacked again. She felt something press around her as a shield, but she didn't want to look. She just wanted this night to be over, and remember how to breathe.

Jane turned on the group, fingers ridged like claws as she reached up to yank out the hatched that had been lodged into her neck. Black, tar-like ooze poured down her chest, vanishing under and merging into the fabric of her dress. She tore the weapon from her skin, a gargled noise escaped her as she attempted to breathe. Her skin steadily starting to repair itself already.

"That… wasn't… nice…"

"I'll take that back." Toby, grinned, darting forward to snatch his hatched out of Jane's hand.

She lashed out, her venomous nails swiping at them like talons. Toby ducked, his knees cracking loudly as he did so, swiping his hatchet and taking aim for another swing. Likewise, Jeff and Alice prepared themselves for attack. Knife and metal-rimmed cards were gripped tightly in their hands as they circled Jane. At times like this, it was hard to tell which side were more like wild animals. The circling, strategic group, or the cornered unpredictable ghost. Time seemed to stand still as they lined each other up.

Finally, Jane made the first move. Ducking to the ground and swiping out a leg to catch the back of Alice's leg. Too bad for Jane that Alice recognized it as one of her own moves in attack and jumped just in time to avoid it. Damn Zalgo and his ability splices, Jane knew every one of Alice's attack styles, the two of them fighting would be no use. Thankfully she still had her cards, tossing one skilfully so it sliced across Jane's cheek, a trickle of black blood curving down her chin. Jane barely had time to react before Jeff was on her, his knife stabbing recklessly into her back while his arm locked around her neck to hold her in place.

He didn't account for her hands though. Her onyx nails flung upwards and scratched along his face. He yelled in pain as the venom in her nails, spliced from Kate's ability, made his skin hiss and bubble grotesquely. He gritted his teeth to stifle the yell and threw her forward into the wall. More of Alice's cards sliced the air, Toby used the handle of his hatchets to try and knock her out. Normally his actions would be more violent on a job like this, but he was loyal to Slender's orders. Slender wanted Jane in one piece and alive, so to speak.

Jane just took it all. When she wasn't lashing out her nails or attempting an attack, she was just laughing. A high pitched cackle that sounded almost too childlike for someone of her age and her actions. She sounded distorted, like there were two voices in one, the girl she used to be and the monster she'd become. It was twisted and nightmarish. She stepped forward, ready for another attack grabbing Toby by the air, nails scraping his scalp. The boy counted his luck that he couldn't feel pain, but that didn't mean this wasn't uncomfortable. He forced an elbow backwards, colliding with her ribs, but she only laughed more like he'd tickled her.

Suddenly, the chilled air took another drop, heavy breath misting in the air as the darkness drew in. Shadows coiled, but this time around Jane. She widened her black eyes, looking a morphed twist of gleeful and fearful, features twitching to try combine the two. The shadows coiled up her legs, around her middle and trapped her arms. She cried out animalistically, Toby slipping from her grasp in the process. She writhed, grin pulled tight as little half laughs escaped past gritted teeth.

"To Slenderman now ple-"

 _BANG!_

Jane was cut off in mid sentence. The explosion ripped through the air and hit the front of her head. Everyone hit the floor, Trixie's shield forcing her head down. Jane on the other hand, slumped forward, a hole in her forehead, leaking a lot of black liquid. The shadows disbursed, and she fell face down on the ground, motionless and silent. The air felt heavy and still. No one knew what to do, what to say. It all happened so fast. They all looked over in the direction the shadows were retreating, and they stopped at two figures. One wearing a cloak so fluid looking that it seemed almost made of shadows itself. The other, was holding a gun, and blowing the smoke away from the barrel.

"Y'all looked like some assistance was needed." Kate smirked knowingly.

"Oh thank god…" Trixie breathed, slumping against her shield. Then, now that the rush was over, she thought to finally look as to what had protected her. At first, she saw a wall of green fabric, and then a pair of eyes looking slyly down at her, red pupils alight. She felt her face enflame in either embarrassment or rage as she harshly pushed Ben away from her. Not looking back as she walked with the others to inspect Jane's body.

Ben sighed, rolling his eyes. Damn, nothing was going right this week… Even when he did good!

"Holy shit did you kill her?" Alice asked, looking at the black ooze trickling between Jane's hair.

"She's a ghost, genius," Ben reminded coolly.

"Nah. She'll be up and moving again soon once her brain's pieced back together." Kate shrugged, putting her gun back into her holster.

"Nice head shot." Toby nodded approvingly, "How'd you aim like that from all the way over there?"

"When you come across one of Slendy's brothers in a dark ally, you wanna take 'em down without letting them get too close." She answered pointedly.

Shad sighed, "It really shouldn't have come to this but we didn't have a choice. Slender should be here soon."

"All this time I could have just stabbed her in the head?" Jeff demanded, "Bullshit…"

"Good job at distracting the bitch, newbie." Alice breathed, rubbing the black splatter from her cheek.

Trixie gulped in the air she felt she'd been deprived of since Jane had arrived and rubbed the cold sweat from her forehead. She did not intend to be a distraction and this had not been a plan! However, this was better than most comments she had, so she accepted it, "S-Sure…Yeah."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, making her flinch in alarm, "You okay, Trix?"

Her eyes locked on a pair of scarlet pupils, and a little of her old dejection returned. She straightened and shrugged him away, "I'm fine, Ben."

"Good because that was dumb as hell you can't just-"

"I missed the part where I had to listen to you anymore. Oh, I never did," She cut him off coldly, walking past him, "I'm fine and they have Jane. So leave me alone."

Ben watched her walk for a few steps before he let his face harden, "You're never going to let me explain, are you?"

The accusing tone hurt, but she stayed firm, "There's nothing to explain."

"You don't know that."

"Oh I do. I mean it, Ben, leave me alone."

He battled with her eyes, locking onto them and trying to pass on so many messages at once. But he couldn't do it. Not after all that had just happened. They were all too tired and worn down to keep doing this for tonight. He didn't want to leave it there. But she wasn't giving in, and so just once more, he couldn't argue. He lived, so to speak, by the phrase third times the charm. So he hoped that by tomorrow, she would finally listen.

As soon as he turned his back on her however, he heard her voice pipe up once more, "Um, Ben?"

"Yeah?" He looked back at her, not getting his hopes up, but still listening.

"Y-You um…" She didn't look him in the eye, her arms folded and looking off at the end of the street, as if trying to distance herself as much as possible, "You have one of Alice's cards lodged in your back."

He blinked, now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was more aware of the aching sting in his lower back. He reached behind him and hissed in discomfort as he yanked out the card that must have ricocheted from one of Alice's attacks. There was no blood, he had none to give. Although on the inside he huffed and stormed off, o the outside he nodded once and didn't falter his casual expression, "I was aware."

He had not been aware, and they all knew it.

* * *

The moment Jane had been shot, the black liquid that had flooded from her head seemed to swirl around the wound, starting to reheal itself. Similar to the stab sounds or cuts she had received in the past, or even similar to the way Ben and Kate healed themselves after a wound. They were dead after all, doomed to remain in the form they were in as they died. Any additional wounds didn't linger for long. A blessing and a curse.

So they had to move fast. It was lucky Kate had aimed for the head, leaving the girl unable to move or react as they carried her to Slender, who then in turn carried her back to the warehouse and put her under quarantine. A little room in the centre of the hideout that was completely sealed off to all apart from one who knew how to get in there. Usually it was used for Proxies who had overworked themselves and were suffering from too much Sickness. It was kind of like a detoxify room. With only a bed inside, there as no distractions or excuses. You lay there until the Sickness subsided, simple. Which made it the perfect place for Jane. Of course they all knew the Sickness wouldn't just vanish from her, but was a good place for her until they figured out what to do with her.

They others had naturally gone to get themselves some much needed rest. Sleeping deeply or just laying still as the case may be to try and heal themselves. Rochelle had taken the first watch outside quarantine to keep an eye on Jane and to report when she would awaken. Slender on the other hand, was sitting in his office with a sleeping Jack curled up in his large desk chair, while Kate and Shad stood with him to talk about possible plans for what to do next.

Slender sighed, _I don't know what to say, I should have foreseen this coming... This was the most basic of traps…_

"Oh quite whining, Slendy, it was basic which is why y'all didn't see it," Kate rolled her eyes, "Jane may be a few brain cells short of sanity but it looks like she ain't so dumb after all, huh, Shadowman?"

"Now I never claimed she was dumb," Shad cut in pointedly, "I simply said that she was not all there mentally, which is what you just agreed on."

"Don't go tattling, Shadowman," She smirked, "Just lightening the mood."

 _What I can't understand is what her aim was… She planted a trap and almost instantly lost sight of it…_ Slender continued, trying to put things together in his head.

"Well we know she wanted us all there, thanks to the trail she left," Kate shrugged, "Just the ambush she needed a little work on."

"I don't think giving her pointers will help out situation," Shad reminded coarsely.

"I'm just saying, keep ya cape on, Shadowman. What's got you so squirrely anyway?"

"Just seems a little strange…"

"What does?" Kate asked, looking tired but refusing to rest.

Shad furrowed his brow in thought, "Jane understands her powers, how to combat them against certain Proxies for the best results… She knows not to use shadows against me, likewise she knows lethal blows won't work against Ben or you."

"What're y'all getting at, Shadowman?"

"I'm saying that she deliberately attacked us in ways that would hurt us, but not damage us." He finished, looking grimly at Slender, "Combining that logic with the fact that she left some of us a trail…"

Slender, although deprived of facial features, gave off an air of frustration and questioning. Shad had a point. How had they not noticed this? Jane maybe insane and unstable, but stupid she was definitely not. This had to be a coincidence, surely that the group had just gotten lucky with their attacks or Jane had become over confident in hers? They had to have the upper hand, just this once. They had to!

 _What you're saying, Shadow Lurker, is that obtaining Jane had been too easy…?_

"Not to sound opposed to our groups abilities, Sir, but Jane has eluded us for so long and now she's suddenly struggling… It seems too convenient."

Kate narrowed her eyes, "Come to think of it, she didn't even try to duck my bullets… But why give herself up like that?"

 _I wouldn't call it giving herself up… I believe she has a plan of some sort…_

"Well what're we sitting around here for? Lets get in there and get some sense outta her before-"

"Mon cher?" Rochelle interrupted, poking her head around the door before entering, looking restless and a little scared, "Jane she… She is restless to say the least, cher, I can't control her. She insists on talking to you. Only you."

The three exchanged looks. Shad turned a paler shade of grey, looking in concern at his mentor, "It's you, Sir. All the times we've faced her, she's demanded we take her to you."

Kate glared into space, fists clenching, "That snake… That's just what we've done."

 **A/N:**

 **So Jane is smarter than they think… But why did she want to get herself captured? What has she got planned? Can they figure it out in time? What are they going to do with her? Will Ben ever get to talk to Trixie? So many questions! Until next time… XD**


	9. Breaking

**A/N:**

 **So the last time we saw the gang, Jane had been captured, only for the gang to discover that Jane had planned to get captured the whole time! But why? What does she have planned and what are the others going to do about it? Well, lets see…**

It was no mystery as to why Slender had forbidden access to the hallways leading to quarantine. As soon as they realized that Jane had staged the entire capture, they realized that she was much more of a threat than expected. Not just in hand to hand combat anymore, but also mentally. Being unkillable just wasn't enough anymore, now she was outsmarting them. It was a terrifying thought and brought on a lot more to worry about.

Slender had refused to go to visit Jane when summoned. Not out of spite, fear or cruelty, it was because he wanted quarantine to get a chance to work first. Maybe a few days alone would give her a break away from Sickness and start her on a detox of sorts. It would clear her head, weaken her abilities and possibly give them a chance to communicate in an orderly way. It was all just hopeful thinking of course, but it was better than nothing.

Of course three days had passed and Slender was still unsure if it was safe to see her just yet. In the meantime, things had been gradually getting back to normal. The Active Proxies were permitted to go out alone again while the Passive's were allowed to go about their usual schedule. Rumours started to spread that maybe things really were back to normal now. That Slender was just going to leave Jane locked away in that room and never have anything to do with her again. Some believed that if this was true, then it was a smart move to make. Although deep down everyone knew that Slender would do no such thing. He'd want to fix the issue, work through it. This was just his planning phase.

But three days of waiting and hearing nothing, along with being banned from doing a little interrogation of their own, works up an appetite. Jeff found himself in the kitchen a lot lately since bringing Jane in. Half because he liked the plaster wall on the far side that was perfect for knife practice, and half because it was the closest room to the banned corridor. Sometimes he tried to imagine what was going on inside quarantine, if he would ever get the chance to go in there himself and teach her a lesson for embarrassing him in front of the others. No one made him feel weak. No one! Being already dead didn't matter, now that he picked up a tip from Kate, he would just aim for the head each time.

He groaned when he found that there was no soda left, slamming the fridge shut and getting some water instead. Great, one more thing to be pissed off about, "Damn it…"

"Looking for something?"

Jeff turned around sharply to see Alice standing in the doorway. He was in mid-groan when he noticed that she was holding up a six-pack of beers with a smug expression on her face, "If you're not going to hand one over, I'm not in the mood to talk."

She rolled her eyes and dumped them on the counter and taking one for herself, "Well I'm not going to drink them all at once."

"Didn't catch you for a beer drinker," He muttered, taking one for himself and taking a much needed gulp.

"Times like this, you don't get fussy." She replied dryly, sipping hers slowly, "So how much is it killing you?"

"What?"

"Not being allowed to see Jane. It's been, what, three days now? It must be driving you crazy not being able to go in there and kick her while she's down."

"Don't even talk to me about that shit, alright? Slender's being a pain in the ass about this whole thing."

"I won't argue with that one. But he's got his reasons. Since, you know, she set us up or whatever."

"Son of a bitch…" He sighed, chugging most of the can in one go, "Sooner they figure out what to do with her the better."

Alice nodded her agreement, "Tell me about it… Jesus this must really be getting to you if you're willing to talk about it over a beer with me of all people."

"Don't let it get to your head," he warned with a knowing look, "I'm bored."

"Funny, so am I." She smirked.

The two regarded each other. It's true, moments like this were rare no matter how they dressed it up. They drank in silence for a little while after that. It surprised them that it wasn't even awkward. It was just… quiet. The past few days had taken its toll on both of them. They didn't want to wait anymore but there was nothing they could do. So little moments like this, they had to be thankful for.

In the end it was Jeff that broke the silence, as usual, "I need to get out for a while."

"And do what?" She asked curiously, putting down her drink.

"I don't know. Something."

A wry look came to her eyes, meaning trouble, "Is this your subtle way of brining up the club again?"

He narrowed his eyes. Not this again. Seriously? "What?"

"Like I said, I'm bored. Let's do something."

"Okay, you keep doing this. What the fuck is it and if you say it's nothing then can we fucking drop it?"

She blinked, like she was surprised, then her eyes narrowed, "What's wrong with you? I was just asking if you wanted to go out again!"

"No you weren't. You were brining that damn place up again because you're hinting at something."

Alice tilted her head, looking almost smug, "Oh, you're good. Did you look up the signs online or did you- No you didn't figure it out on your own, what was I thinking?"

"Why do you keep going on about that fucking club?" He snapped, "Ever since then you just force it into conversations and have stupid little comments and I want to know why!"

"You know why! You're just being an ass and pretending not to remember!"

"I don't remember!" He insisted, voice raising, "I had a lot to drink, alright? You fucking know this!"

"Well piss off then!" She yelled back at him, "If you really, honestly don't remember then I'll drop it!"

"Fine, that's all I fucking wanted! Jesus between you and Sally-"

Alice narrowed her eyes, "What's Sally got to do with this?"

Shit… "Nothing!"

"No you've been acting stranger than usual ever since she showed up the other night. So what did she say?"

"For gods sake nothing just-"

"Don't give me that shit, Jeff. You just told me not to say my thing was nothing so don't be a damn hypocrite. Sally was there when I dragged your drunk ass home. She told you what you did didn't she?"

"No she didn't she-"

"Jeff… When have you ever lied and I haven't known about it?"

Shit… He had her there. Why did she always do this? She was like a freaking Rottweiler, she'll get a bite and not let go! What was he supposed to do now? Just storm off? Lie again? Was there any point? Well he could always just shut up and refuse to say anything else… Oh yeah right like that would work! Damn it. He growled, fists clenching tighter and refusing to admit defeat. Well, he refused to admit it, even if that was exactly what he was doing.

"Alright, fine! Yes, she told me what I apparently did but I don't believe it!"

Her eyes became icy, "What did she say…?"

"I just said! She told me what I apparently did!"

"Which is?"

"Fucks sake, woman, do I have to say it?"

"Yes!"

"She said I tried to kiss you!" He yelled suddenly, anger burning in his eyes, "But like fuck do I believe it because there's no way in hell I'd ever try and get with a manipulating, stubborn bitch like you who thinks she's gods gift to earth! So get over yourself cuz like all hell did I try anything with you!"

The room fell heavily quiet, the silence almost suffocating. It was times like this that Jeff very rarely and very faintly had the notion that she should have shut up sooner. But it was far too late now. It was already out there. He stared at Alice, not breathing and keeping his eyes locked on hers as if he was staring down a viper ready to strike. Alice, looked stunned for a moment, taking it all in, and the more she did so, the more her eyes turned cold and narrowed.

What happened next, seemed almost inhuman in speed. Alice's hand lashed out and slapped him hard across the face. As his head snapped to the side from the impact, her leg darted out and curved to kick him in the back of the knee, sending him buckling forward. Finally, while he was down, she grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head backwards so he had no choice but to look at her. If looks could kill, the conversation would be over. Jeff was too stunned to move. Of course they'd had fights before, both verbal and physical. There had been plenty a time when they'd left a mark on one another. But never had Jeff ever seen her with such a look of hatred in her eyes as she had right now. It wasn't the aggression that had stunned him, it was that look.

"To set the record straight, we actually had fun that night. And like it or not, you did try to kiss me, but I didn't hurt your for it. I told you to wait until you sobered up to try it again. I should have known you were too drunk off your pathetic ass to remember, and I should have known better then to give a worthless fucker like you the benefit of the doubt that you'd act any different. So do me a favour, fuck off." Her voice lowered, barely a whisper, "And if you ever talk to me like that again… I'll kill you."

Before he could answer, she shoved him forward again and let go. He stumbled into the wall, rubbing the back of his head where her nails had scraped his scalp. Her footsteps vanished as she stormed down the corridor and out of sight. Jeff was left alone, the truth she'd just relayed to him churning in his head. She had to be lying. Why would she tell him that unless it was to mess with him? Unless… Unless she was telling the truth. But why would she tell him to wait and actually try again rather than just let it happen and use it against him later? Or just stop it and have done with it? It was… Fuck. His head couldn't handle this. He'd never seen her like that before. Out of all the crap they gave each other and fights they got in and even the abuse they handed out on a regular basis, never had he ever seen her hate him as much as he had just then.

* * *

Jack was fast asleep in the common room. The past few nights had been extremely trying on him. Of course he had felt safer than usual being around Slender. But there were still times when the nightmares got too much for him, or the fear that something would go wrong would set him back a few spaces. Now that Jane was living under the same room as him, he constantly felt a panic clawing at his mind like the Sickness. Every bump in the night, move of a shadow, it made him want to run and hide or attack and maim. It was an endless cycle where nothing seemed right anymore. It was exhausting.

Finally, after a sleepless night, he had crashed on the common room sofa. He lay down with his head rested on the arm of the sofa, legs curled up into a ball, blind eyes closed as he snoozed softly. Around him, the room was at a low buzz of activity. Trixie sat on the sofa next to him, patting his shoulder whenever he twitched to offer some comfort. Attempting to play a game of chess, Masky and Toby sat close by, Masky trying not to get frustrated and Toby getting confused that he was playing checkers instead. Finally, Hoody sat on the floor with Smile's head on his lap while he polished the lenses of one of his cameras.

Not much conversation was happening admittedly, but it was a peaceful setting for the most part. Occasional words floating around, no one wanting to be too loud in case they woke up Jack. The poor guy had been through enough already.

"Think he'll be okay?" Toby asked, poking one of his bishops along the board, "Jane wasn't exactly good to him before."

"Jane wasn't exactly good with anyone," Masky reminded tiredly.

"Oh yeah…"

Trixie sighed, brushing some of Jack's messy brown hair away from his eyes, "He'll be fine as long as he keeps away from her. And vice versa. Has Slender told you guys about much of his plans with her now?"

"Nothing yet. I think he wants to keep her isolated for as long as possible," Masky explained, "Try and wear down the Sickness as much as he can or something like that."

"Makes sense I suppose… Think it'll work?" She asked curiously. Hoody shrugged, looking up at the group and moved his hands with a sceptical look on his face. Only a few words translated to Trixie, but she managed to get the overall gist of it, "Yeah, it's all we have…" She sighed.

Masky blinked behind his mask. Surprised that she hadn't needed someone to translate. But he pushed it aside, after all she had been gradually picking things up for a while now, "True. I guess. Slender has to know what he's doing. He'll tell us eventually."

"I hope so. This is getting boring just waiting around," Toby huffed.

Hoody gave him a look, hands moving again. Trixie nodded her agreement, which once again didn't go unnoticed by the others. Toby continued the conversation, "Well yeah, going outside again is cool and all but it's boring knowing that she's sitting around in there and no one's doing anything yet."

"This isn't like you to want action, Toby," Trixie commented, looking concerned, "You okay?"

"Yeah!" He grinned behind his mask.

They didn't even try to figure out what was going on in his mind. If he wanted to be annoyed but happy, let him. It was a lot better than what most of them were feeling. The conversation dwindled. There wasn't much to say around here anymore. It was the same old thing. Ask about Jane, ask about Slender, be thankful for the small things. That was it.

Jack stirred a little in his sleep, muttering something that was too unclear to hear. Trixie sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "I should try and get him to his room."

"Leave him, he'll only get scared if he wakes up somewhere different to where he wakes up," Masky offered quietly, "You can take him if you like but…"

"No, you're right. Poor thing…"

"You could always just demand him to not be scared," Masky said with a hint of innocent curiosity, "You know his real name, don't you? He gave it to you?"

Trixie felt cold, "He did. But I'm not doing that."

"O-Oh I know you wouldn't," He insisted, trying to make peace, "But if you're really worried about him, it's an option."

"Not such a good one though," Toby shrugged, shoulders cracking loudly, making Jack stir again.

Hoody tapped her to get her attention, hands moving. She only picked up two words. You're helping. She smiled, feeling a little better from that at least, "Thanks."

"Hey, Trix, you can speak sign language now?" Toby asked curiously.

"Huh, no why?"

"You just understood like four things that Hoody said."

She blinked. Everything was such a mess inside her head that she hadn't even noticed she was talking more than usual. As far as she knew she wasn't aware of more words or phrases. Well there was that one long lesson with Ben in his room when… Well they had covered a lot of topics and key words, which had actually come up in conversation just now. But she didn't want to think about Ben. She'd done a good job of avoiding him the past couple days as he had done a good job of staying out of her way, probably sulking. But it looked like that although he had taught her that he was really even more of a jerk than expected, he had also managed to teach her the start of another useful thing too.

"Oh… Yeah, I guess I did."

"How come?" Toby asked.

"Wasn't me," Masky contributed with a little smirk. Only to have it vanish a moment later by Trixie's warning look.

Hoody, however, looked at her knowingly, hands moving slower than usual to give her a chance to pick up what he was saying. She almost wished she didn't understand that one. But all he did was spell out a name with just three letters in it, and she was forced to nod, "Yeah, looks like he taught me more than one thing this week."

 **A/N:**

 **Yup, he taught you some sign language and that he can still get inside your head. Sigh… Well, what's going to happen next? A lot more stuff coming your way guys! There's going to be one more slower chapter just to take a break, and then… well you'll have to just wait and see XD**


	10. Words Hold Meaning

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys! Glad to hear you're enjoying the series so far! Trust me, there's loads more action to come! Lol, anyway, onwards! XD**

Emily sat at her desk, looking out of her window at the dark streets below. She'd done this last night. Also the night before. She feared the worse. Of course Shad didn't visit her every single night, but she feared his absence when it was longer than usual. The last time she saw him, it was to tell her that they had caught Jane and that she was locked away. But that was it. No news since, no signs, nothing at all. She feared that something had gone wrong. Or he'd forgotten about her. There were even rare moments when… when she wondered if he had been real at all or if it was all in her head. If anything, she feared that the most.

It was starting to get late, the streetlamps outside had been switched on for hours now, the streets empty apart from the occasional car driving by. There was nothing for certain to say he would visit tonight. Or tomorrow. Or… ever again. But she had a feeling. That was enough for her. She needed to know that he was okay.

It was unclear how long she sat there, pretending to read or stare blankly at her computer screen. But finally, she felt something. Just a little shift in the air. Shad had taught her a lot of things when they met. Such as signs of Sickness in others, changes in the air to warn her that something was close. She felt it now. A slight pressure in the air, along with a chill. Not uncomfortable, just notable. She straightened in her seat, turning around slowly. But there was no one there. Her lamp was on, pushing the shadows back into the corners, but she was sure there was nothing hiding in them. So what was it?

 _Knock-Knock_

She nearly jumped out of her chair. Standing up she rushed to her bedroom door where the noise came from, opening the door slowly. Instantly she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. A tall figure dressed in shadows, pale almost gray skin matched by milky white and silver eyes. Without hesitation she stepped forward and hugged him.

"What took you so long?" She whispered.

Shad froze. Some colour coming to his face at the sudden show of affection. But he didn't miss the opportunity to return it, hugging her close a moment before looking down at her, "I apologize I-"

"Come in, dummy," She smiled, stepping back and pulling him inside her room so she could close the door, turning to give him a bemused look, "I've told you before you don't have to knock."

"As I've said before, I'm making up for past intrusions." He returned with a polite smile, half wondering where the hug had gone, "I'm so sorry I haven't come back in so long."

"I was worried something had happened…" She muttered, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really. There's just been a lot happening since Jane's capture."

"She hasn't escaped has she?"

"No, no of course not. There has just been a lot of debate of what to do with her now. Especially since… since she planned to get captured all along."

Emily blinked, "She planned it? Why?"

"That, we have yet to discover. But I assure you, you're safe from her. She won't come near you now she's with us."

"I don't…" She sighed, not wanting to ruin their time together but at the same time, she wasn't worried for herself. She shook her head, looking up at him and putting on a smile for his sake, "I know. I trust you."

Shad furrowed his brow, noting the look in her eyes, "Emily, are you alright?"

"Yeah I just… I missed you."

A small smile pulled at his lips. He knew she was hiding something, but to hear those words, it made him happy, "I missed you too."

The two stood there, smiling at one another in silence, unsure of what to say for fear that the moment would be ruined. He had thought of nothing but her since the last time they'd spoken. But with helping Slender reinforce the quarantine room, plan for what to do with Jane as well as going out to finish jobs of his own, he had not had the opportunity to visit her. The guilt ate at him. But he was here now. Here to explain and here to make up for his absence.

"How long are you allowed to stay tonight?" She asked hopefully.

"I won't be needed until tomorrow. So as long as you wish me to be here, I'll stay."

A strange feeling came over Emily, one where happiness and hurt collided in her chest harshly. She looked up at him, "I… don't want you to go."

He sighed regretfully, stepping closer to her to lay his hands gently on her shoulders, "Emily, I don't want to go either, but you know I must. I have duties…"

"Duties that almost get you killed every night. Duties that apparently I can't be part of."

"Emily we've talked about this. It's too dangerous there. If the Sickness gets too close to you-"

"You used to be scared you'd hurt me because of Sickness. But you-"

"I still get scared, Emily. Now more than ever. Please… let me protect you from what else is out there."

She averted her eyes from his, instead stepping closer to hug him again, head rested under his chin and her eyes clenched shut, "I do let you. Why can't you let me protect you too?"

He hesitated, unable to answer her question. All he could do was close his arms around her, holding her close. When she was close like this, that was when he was most at east yet most terrified. He never wanted to let her go. It didn't made sense to him why she was so willing to trust him like this. But he didn't question it. He just held her close, chin resting lightly on the top of her head. But he had to answer, there was no getting out of it.

"The truth is… you do protect me."

"How?"

"By letting me visit you, by letting us have moments like this." He hesitated, the words getting tangled on his tongue before he managed to force them out, "You protect me by letting me… l-letting me feel human."

Her eyes opened slowly, peering up at him. His cheek was twitching, a habit he always seemed to slip into when he was nervous. It happened a lot around her, she noticed. But there was nothing but honesty in his eyes. She felt guilty, but touched, "Shad I-"

"I-I apologize if that sounded strange or out of line b-but it's true. You make me feel human in the way you treat me and the way you talk to me. It reminds me that there might be redemption for the things I've done and… and I can't thank you enough for that. It might be selfish of me, Emily, but I keep you away from that world because I need you safe. I-I need… I just need you safe."

If anything, she hugged him tighter, feeling the way the shadows of his cloak stroked her face softly. She couldn't let him go. Not physically or emotionally. The idea of him leaving her again hurt and… and if finally dawned on her just how much he cared about her. In return, she knew how much she cared for him.

He stammered, "I-I'm sorry that was very out of line, I-"

There he was. There was the Shad she knew and… "Shad?"

He felt the way her body seemed t fit against his so well, as if he was designed for her. The warmth her skin brought him, alien but comforting. He nodded, "Yes?"

"Promise… Promise me that you won't fade away from me?"

Concern coated his eyes, looking down at her, "Why would you think I'd do such a thing?

"I just… I don't know. There's so much going on with you and I feel useless. Sometimes I feel that you'll get caught up in it and forget me. Or… Or that you weren't real to start with and I'm going crazy."

He sighed, guilt and unease eating at him, but he couldn't ignore the need to make her feel better. Cautiously, he moved his arms around her, awkwardly returning the hug and half draping her with his cloak, "Sometimes I think it would be better for you if I weren't real. So you could live your life without waiting for me or worrying yourself like this. I didn't mean to cause this."

"You didn't, this is me." She looked up at him, genuine and honest, "And I love that you're real. I love that you stay with me and…"

His throat ran very dry, looking down at her in concern and admiration, "A-And?

She cupped his cheek, drawing him in. Their noses brushed and she hesitated, seeing if she was the one crossing a line. His eyes widened, almost fearfully until he saw the warm look in her eyes. He almost relaxed, hands resting on her forearms lightly in case she wished to step away. Her thumb stroked under his eye, unsure of what to do next. They were so close. Would this really be a bad thing if… But she really wanted this. By the look in his eyes, he did to. Both of them stood there, so close yet so far, too scared to make another more for fear of hurting the other.

"M-Maybe… Maybe we shouldn't." She whispered finally, but unable to move away.

He froze. Had he done something wrong? Had he offended her? He stammered, "I-I'm sorry I shouldn't have, that was most disrespectful of me to-"

"Shad," She cut him off, gently, "You weren't, I just… I want this. But only if you can promise me that you won't be in any more danger."

"Emily, you know I can't-"

"I'm scared I'm going to lose you. Every time you leave I think you won't come back. So please, please promise me that when the danger is over you'll stop looking for it."

"I…" He sighed, his cool breath moving her hair. He didn't want to move, not now, never had he felt more capable of protecting her than he did right now, "I can't say when the danger really will be over."

"I know…" She swallows hard, a lump in her throat, "But I trust you."

He hugged her close to him, a hand laying in her hair to try and comfort her. What else could he say? "I promise."

"Thank you." She breathed in relief, nuzzling closer.

Feeling a sudden sense of bravery and protection, he leaned back a little so he could take her hand, lifting it gently to his lips and kissing her knuckle, a little awkwardly since he hadn't done anything like that before. Trying to be the gentleman she deserved and needed. She blushed, breaking into a smile.

"Shad? Could you… stay with me tonight? I-If you're not needed that is? I just really don't want to be alone again tonight."

He smiled, nodding at her and leaning her closer into another hug. In truth, he didn't want to be alone either, "Of course."

* * *

Since Jane had been put in quarantine, it was almost surprising how quickly Trixie fell back into her routine. If it wasn't for the chats with the others or little reminders from Slender that part of the hideout was blocked off, she wouldn't notice anything different. But the tension in the wait was not hard to ignore. Despite that, it was almost a relief going back into her drawing. It took her mind off things, and she was happy to find that sometimes during the day she was able to draw things for fun as well as work. For little clusters at a time, she was able to just escape.

She has in the common room alone, her notebook in her lap as she curled up on the sofa and was half way through a picture of a scene in her head. A cottage on the top if a cliff overlooking the sea. Sure she knew it was cliché but it was where one of her grandparents used to live before they passed away. It was also one of her favourite places to visit, so she spent long and hard trying to capture every detail she could remember. Including the smashed flower pot on the window ledge where a strong wind had knocked it off. It had never been cleaned up, forgotten in the rush of cleaning the inside of the house most likely. She sighed, she missed it so much.

The door of the common room opened, making her jump back to attention. Only for her to deflate a second later when she saw that it was Ben. He blinked at her, looking surprised to find her in here alone, "Hey, Trix."

"Hi," She said simply, before turning back to her drawing. She just wasn't ready to talk to him yet. She was still mad at him, she still needed some time to think.

Sensing her unease around him, he sighed, feeling both annoyed and just plain down about it, "I uh, didn't know you were in here."

"Okay. I'm not going to kick you out, you know."

"Okay, good to know," He nodded, making his way around the room to his laptop which was on the table. He went to pick it up, and then thought better of it. He needed to talk to her. It had been three days since they last spoke. It felt… unnatural, "So, Slender's still keeping Jane isolated in there."

Oh. He was trying to have a conversation about something other than the other day. That was both a relief to her and also a little of a let down. Had he just given up? Would it be a bad thing? She didn't know. This is why she needed time to think! She looked up at him curiously, "Have you heard anything?"

"Nope, why would I?"

"Just figured you'd want to. I mean you kind of… um…" Trixie gave him a look, shrugging awkwardly, "You… flirt with her."

"Yeah," He answered honestly, "But remember I also flirt with Jeff from time to time."

Don't laugh, Trixie scolded herself as the corners of her mouth twitched, you'll only encourage him, "Poor Jeff."

"Too right, have you heard about the blow up between him and Alice?" He asked, talking about other peoples problems instead of their own seemed like a good route. Maybe. How did he move on from this?

"Yeah. Well I heard they weren't talking which much be pretty serious for them."

"I can't get a word out of Jeff about what happened." He shrugged.

"Alice doesn't talk to me about issues. Not her own anyway."

Ben tilted his head, "You talk to her then? About your own problems? Wait is that why she's been so bitchy to me lately?"

She averted her eyes. Damn it, things were just starting to feel normal again. Why did he have to do that? "I wouldn't know. But yeah, we did talk about why… you know."

"Why you won't let me explain?"

A flicker of anger resurfaced, her notebook snapped shut, "I don't want to get into this."

"Well I do. Trix, it's been a long time and what you heard in the kitchen was out of context and I had more to say! What you heard at the start, I didn't mean it like that."

"So you've told me." She stood up, ready to walk past him and head back to her room, "I don't want to hear it just yet."

"Trix, just listen to me." He reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her, meeting her eyes firmly, "I've already said that I didn't mean what I said and you didn't hear the whole story. Why can't you just let me explain properly?"

She looked up at him, so much frustration and leftover anger swirling in her head and stomach making her sick and dizzy. So many times he'd tried to explain. And so many times she'd shot him down before he ever got the chance. In a way she was doing it as revenge for all the times he'd cut her off and cornered her. But when she really got down to it, she realized she wasn't doing it for that. She was doing because of something simpler. She wasn't ready to forgive him yet. Not just because of what he had said, but also because once again he was cornering her. But when she really thought about it, she just wasn't that angry anymore… She was too tired to be angry. She just… wanted to think!

She took a deep breath, her throat feeling so tight. But she had to say it, "I can't."

"What?" He faltered, looking confused and letting her arm go.

"I can't just forgive you, Ben. Whether you meant what you said or not, I'm still mad at you from before that. Remember? We tried to talk about it in your room?"

He sighed, lowering his head a little. But he at least nodded, "Yeah. Yeah I remember."

"Just… Let me be mad at you. Thank you for leaving me alone the past couple days and… and for protecting me when Jane attacked but I can't just stop being mad at you." She looked up at him pleadingly, her voice quiet and a little shaky, "You still cornered me multiple times, you still kissed me without my permission and expected more and whether you meant what you said or not to Jeff and Toby you still said it. I know you said there was more to explain but right now I don't want to hear it. Let me be mad for a little longer, and then we'll talk, okay?"

He was quiet, which she didn't know if it was a good sign or not. It didn't make sense for him to be quiet. Even if she was mad at him, she didn't want to hurt him. Finally he nodded, looking up to meet her eyes, "Sure. Okay."

"Okay." She nodded, taking a deep breath and reaching forward, fingers shaking, to take his hand, "Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate it."

His fingers closed around hers, a hint of his old smirk showing, "About time huh?"

"Maybe. Just a little more time, okay, and then I'll return the favour and listen to you."

"I'll hold you to that," He nodded, attempting more of his old smile but not quite managing it, "So… what do you want me to do now?"

She shrugged a shoulder, giving his hand another squeeze before letting him go. Why did it hurt? "I'm not going to tell you what to do, Ben. You finally listened to what I was saying and gave me space, that's all I wanted you to do."

He reached up to cup her cheek gently, lingering a moment before stepping away from her. Something didn't look right in his eyes, something regretful, "In that case, I'll speak to you soon, Trix."

She nodded, feeling the same as he looked, regretful, as he walked down the hallway, "I'll speak to you soon, Ben."

* * *

This was a nice room. Nice and quiet room. But the Sickness was so loud. Not that it was anything new, the Sickness was always loud. She was used to it. But the room was still nice. She'd lost track of how long she was in there, but it didn't matter. Slender would be joining her soon. The fool was far too curious and noble to just leave her in here. Especially when there was no doubt they've figured out that she wanted to get caught. Unless they were more foolish than she thought. Silly friends… Foolish, silly friends…

Jane looked around the quarantine room, once again taking in every detail. The tiled floors were the same as the tiles on the walls, giving off the impression of a white/gray rubix-cube from the inside. The only other thing in the room was a metal bed frame, covered by a thick mattress and a thin sheet. She'd sat down on the bed, sitting up with her back against the headboard. The hole in her head from one of Kate's bullets was gone, healed only an hour after arriving. Now there wasn't even a scar. But her hair was still matted and clumped together from the black ooze that had leaked from her wound. It was disgusting, but she didn't mind too much. She would be able to wash it out soon. When she was free.

The isolation only made her more certain that she'd be out of here soon. Slender couldn't hold out forever. He would finally listen to her, and everything would be alright. Daddy would be back. Slender would be dead. And her friends would either be dead too, or stay her friends forever… Such a nice thought. It made her grin. Everything was finally going her way.

"Don't worry, Daddy… Not long now."

 **A/N:**

 **So a little more of a sappy chapter with this one… Sorry for another filler. But I promise things will be picking up a hell of a lot soon enough! So when will Trixie finally talk to Ben properly? Will Alice and Jeff ever talk again? What has Jane got planned? Will Slender go and see her? Find out soon! XD**


	11. Threats and Promises

**A/N:**

 **So when we left off, Jane had been in quarantine for about four days, Shad and Emily were getting closer, Alice and Jeff had a colossal argument and Trixie had asked Ben to give her a little more time to think before she spoke to him again. A lot going on… But what's going to happen next? Slender can't ignore Jane forever after all.**

"Mon cher, please be careful."

Slender stopped in the doorway. Not taking another step. He couldn't. Not when she had that tone about her. That look. He sighed, not wanting to leave her right now. But what choice did he have? It was either a case of dealing with the issue now while he had a strategy in his head, or just leaving things as they were and constantly be under strain of what might happen if he didn't do this now. It was a cruel position to be in. But then again, everything had been lately. It couldn't go on. He'd be ignoring his duty to let it.

He turned to face Rochelle, _I will be, I promise… We've been over this plan for the past few days… I talk to her, see what she wants out of this, and we go from there based on what she says…_

"So you've said… I believe you, cher, I really do. But Jane is, well, she wanted to come here. She planned the whole thing and I fear that if you go in there alone with her then-"

 _I know, my dear…_ He placed his hands gently on hers, looking down at her with an air of calmness, even if on the inside he was on edge, _I admit I share a similar concern but I assure you that no drastic action shall be taken today… This is just an act of approaching her… To see what she has to say and to judge if the Sickness has subsided somewhat…_

Rochelle placed her hands atop of his, not wanting to let go, "Do you really think it has?"

 _It's hard to say… If it were any of the Proxies then I would say most definitely… But Jane is a unique case, it seems… I can't assume anything until I've spoken with her…_

"I understand that, cher, I do. But what if this is something else she planned? What if meeting you alone is what she wants and you're walking right to her!"

 _There is always that possibility… I can't lie to you, my dear… But this is a risk I have to make for the good of the future… If I don't talk to her now and find out exactly what she wants then she could become more of a threat to all of us…_

Rochelle felt her eyes sting. It was all too much, too dangerous, "I understand, cher… I understand it all but I do not agree with it. You should not go in there alone. Let me come with you. Or Kate or Shad or-"

 _I will not put you at risk again…_ He said firmly, protectively, _Not you or the Proxies… I can't risk losing you…_

She blinked, looking up at him, surprised by the intense edge to his voice. This was too dangerous, too risky. But she truly did understand why this had to be done. It just scared her, "I don't want to risk losing you either, cher…"

Slender put his long fingers gently under her chin so she looked up at him. His voice softened for her sake, _You won't lose me… I'll make this quick and to the point, I'll be back within the half hour…_

"I still ask you to be careful. If you're not back in that time then I will come looking for you." She sighed, "I do truly believe that you can help her in some way, cher, but I don't think giving in to her wishes is the way to do it."

 _Honestly, my dear, neither do I… But what other way is there…?_

She stepped in to peck his cheek. There was no need to answer the question. There was no other way, "Come back safe, cher."

 _I promise… I shall…_

* * *

Leaving her was so much harder than he thought. It felt like he was leaving her in that hotel room all over again. All that kept him walking was the thought that it would only be for the shortest amount of time. They had been postponing this confrontation for days now. There had to have been some progress at least. The Sickness must have subsided the smallest amount. He clung to these hopes. Because if things went wrong then that's all he had.

The walk down to quarantine was unnervingly quiet. But thankfully it was short. In a small amount of time he began to see the cold steel door up ahead. Three figures standing in front of it. Shad, Masky and Hoody. He had asked them to meet him here as back up in case things should go wrong. The idea was simple. All he would do was go into the room, attempt to talk to Jane, and leave. From there they might have some more information to go on to know how to continue. Not the most advanced plan admittedly, but it was the safest option without conflict.

Speaking of conflict, he appeared to be walking in on a disagreement of some sort. Hoody was moving his hands, a sly look on his face. Shad however looked less than impressed, "There's no need to be crude. She didn't want to be alone and so I stayed with her. That's all."

"Hey don't look at me," Masky insisted, "I'm not staying anything."

"There's nothing to say." Shad said bluntly, ignoring Hoody rolling his eyes.

 _Is everything alright…?_ Slender asked.

Shad startled, straightening up and feeling more annoyed when Hoody's shoulder's started moving like he was chuckling, "Fine, Sir. Just fine."

Masky sighed, not wanting part of this. He looked up at Slender, eager to continue and get this over with, "Are you ready to talk to Jane?"

 _I have a basic plan of what to say… It all depends on how she responds…_

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sir? Perhaps leaving her alone for a day two or so more would be recommended to be safe." Shad offered.

 _Any longer and we risk her lashing out… Four days is usually a reasonable amount of time for Sickness to subside… Not to mention tensions are running high enough as it is…_

Masky exchanged a look with Hoody, sharing a subtle nod to conclude they shared the same notion, "Sir, what if this is another trick of hers? For all we know, the Sickness in her doesn't work the same way as it does for us. Leaving her alone all this time, what if it made the Sickness worse?"

Slender fell silent for a moment. Their fears were reasonable, in fact it was hard to find an unreasonable fear at this point. He sighed, unable to lie to them once more, _It is always a possibility… I've considered all of these aspects but that can't stop us from discovering why she wanted to be here to start with…_

"Just be careful, Sir. We don't even know how much more of this she's planned," Shad warned carefully.

 _I understand…._ He left out the fact that Shad was starting to sound like Rochelle.

Hoody moved his hands urgently, a quizzical look on his face.

Slender nodded, _Yes, I want you all to be on alert… If something goes wrong in there and I'm unable to get out, then I want you to lock the door and get everyone else away from here…_

All three of them startled, Shad stared at him, "Sir you can't be serious? If she does something to you in there then you know we'll come in to assist you. You can't expect us to just-"

 _Yes I do expect you to just leave…_ He interrupted sternly, _She is dangerous and if something happens to be then I want at least one reassurance that the rest of you are away from possible danger… If something happens to me then you will lock the door… And you will leave…_

They all knew that tone. They all knew that he only used it in grim situations. And they all knew that you could not argue with it. It was a little scary when he did that. It was a true reminder that underneath it all, he was a demon. A force to be reckoned with. Of course he had their best interests at heart but when he was serious about something then there was no getting around him. If things go wrong and this would be his possible last wish, then they had to grant it. Even if they didn't agree with it in any way whatsoever.

In turn they hung their heads and admitted defeat. Hoody made a symbol with his hands. Ten minutes, in counting. Slender nodded. Ten minutes would be more than enough time to at least find out the important things he needed to know. Tension swirled in the air, none of them wanted to do this. But it was the only way to progress from this point on.

The quarantine door was dense, designed to block any ability and muffle any sound. Even Slender himself had tested the room when it was first made to ensure that it would not be passable. He put a hand to the door, listening for Sickness and movement. It was faint, which either implied that Jane was weaker, or she was simply sitting on the other side of the room. It was hard to tell, but he had to get this over with as quickly and efficiently as possible. He wasn't scared of Jane. But he was cautious. Very much so.

He opened the door, being careful just in case she was waiting to make a run for it. But there was nothing. Just silence. He exchanged one more look with the others, making sure that the message passed on, before he slipped inside. The door sealed shut behind him. The room was brightly lit, spotless and clean. Only the bed sat in the corner, and a figure sat on it, staring into space as if she were simply daydreaming.

The wound in Jane's head was gone, but her hair remained matted from the black ooze that had leaked out. She looked so peaceful, like a child half asleep. He cleared his throat, _Hello Jane…_

Her eyes instantly brightened, turning her head on the pillow slowly to look at him. It was almost unnerving how calm she was. Like she was greeting an old friend, "Hello, Slenderman. Have you been hiding from me?"

 _No… I've been keeping you contained…_

"So sad. I've missed my friends." She sighed dreamily, "Can I see them?"

 _No…_

"You're no fun," She giggled, stretching and sitting up, "It's very lonely here. And my Sickness is still here. Whoops." She grinned at him twistedly.

He tilted his head, _What do you mean…?_

"Don't be silly, Slendy… Why else would you put me in here alone for so long? You want to see if my Sickness goes. Sorry, but nope! Still here."

 _So I see…_ The Sickness in the air was almost overwhelming. It didn't make sense. How did four days of isolation and no feeding create such a power? _Why did you want to get captured, Jane…?_

The glint in her eyes sparkled against the black, "Good… So good… You figured it out, huh? Yay." She rocked a little in her seat, gleefully, "Are you gonna tell Katie-Kate off for shooting me? That wasn't nice."

 _You were hurting people… Now answer the question…_

Jane chuckled, "Well who else is going to bring my daddy back?"

That made him pause, _Jane… Zalgo was not your father, he was a cruel and vicious demon that hurt you in ways you cannot understand yet, and he is not coming back…_

"Don't lie!" She shrieked, glaring at him, hands gripping the edge of the mattress, "You made him go away! You can bring him back!"

 _No, Jane, I can't… He was hurting too many people and he also hurt you… You have too much Sickness in your system to understand… I apologize and understand that this is hard to hear but you must listen… Zalgo is gone… You can move on, be yourself again, who you used to be…_

"No, you don't understand, I can't! This is me!" She said firmly, "Daddy had plans! I was going to help! But you took him away from me and made me this! You did this to me! It's your fault!"

Slender wasn't put off by her outburst, they had all heard this before. But the intensity to her voice was surprising, and pitiful. He couldn't help but feel guilty that he was not able to help her. Nothing was going to help it, it seemed. She believed these lies far too much. The guilt ate at him, but he had to suppress it for the sake of progress. He had to get the information he needed. She wanted to get caught, so she could get him to bring Zalgo back. But why?

 _Jane… I do apologize… But I did not do this to you… Zalgo did… But you can beat this, if you would just allow me to help you…_

"Aw," She cooed, smirking at him coldly, "You're so silly, Slenderman. You think you can help me? NOPE! Only daddy can help me. And only you can bring him back. Don't deny it… Daddy told me so. He told me everything…"

He hesitated, _What did Zalgo tell you, Jane…_

She tilted her head, like an innocent child who had been asked an obvious question, "He knew you'd try to kill him. He told me that if you ever succeeded, then you could bring him back. So why don't you?"

Slender felt a chill in the air. No… _No, Jane, I can't…_

"Oh don't lie, that's not nice…" She giggled.

 _Why do you need Zalgo back, Jane…?_

"To feed me, for one thing. But I can do that I gues... But mostly so we can finish what we started. So many plans… ruined."

 _Jane… let this go… please…_

"No!" She screamed, standing up and glaring up at him, "No I won't! I can't! He was mine and you took him from me! You have to bring him back! I know you can and if you don't…" She trailed off, breaking into a low, threatening laughter, "I'll kill you."

 _You'll kill me…? Jane I think we've-_

"I'll kill them," She corrected, her voice barely a whisper, a sickening grin on her face and her eyes alight, "First I'll kill your Active Proxies so you can't even feed… Then I'll kill your Passive Proxies so you won't even be able to sense me coming… Then I'll start killing humans again, make my own Proxies to spread Sickness just like Daddy wanted… Then, when you're getting desperate, I'll kill your darling Rochelle while you watch…" She giggled, her words growing colder and darker, "Finally, when you're starving, all alone, empty inside and have nothing, just like ME! Then… Oh then I'll kill you."

Slender stared at her, feeling… panic. It could have been the Sickness in the air or the intense determination in her voice but he felt genuinely unnerved by her claims. She couldn't have that power… could she? She couldn't really take all of that away from it? They were empty threats, they had to be. But… He couldn't let this happen.

Jane giggled, sighing contently and laying back down on the bed, settling down as if ready to dream happily, "Best get going, Slendy. You have a lot to think about…"

 **A/N:**

 **Jeez… Jane is not messing around. But she can't get out of quarantine right? These are just empty threats, right? Well… lets hope so for the sake of the team, huh? XD**


	12. Locked Doors

**A/N:**

 **I am so sorry for the longer wait! And I'm sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than usual. I'm setting up the stage a little for future events. But yes, you've waited long enough! Here's the next chapter!**

Out of the ten minutes Slender had asked for with Jane, he had only lasted seven before he left. Hoody, Masky and Shad spared no time in locking the door behind them and returning all barriers into their proper places to ensure that there was no possible way of escape. If he was able to gather the courage to admit it, Slender would say that these bindings were almost identical to the ones he had put on the hotel in which Rochelle was trapped. But he would never say it out loud. The idea that he was treating a Sickness infested threat the same as someone he cares about more than his own existence… It was too much. So he pretended the notion had never come to him, and carried on his way. There was a lot to think about.

He dismissed his Proxies once he was out in the open, explaining that Jane had not given them anything of value. Which in a way was true. All she had said she wanted was for Slender to bring Zalgo back to her. But he hadn't told them that, not wanting them to fear the worse or start asking questions. That's also why he avoided telling them about Jane's very detailed and graphic threats… In all honesty, that had unnerved him. Even though in theory Jane was just a Proxy without control, she still had a rare ability to get under people's skin. Including his.

That being said, it took a lot of convincing to dismiss those particular Proxies. Naturally, Shad, Masky and Hoody all wanted to know exactly what had been said in that room and what they were supposed to do next. To which he had replied that all would be dealt with later on after everyone had taken a much needed break. As soon as they had agreed, he made his way back to his office. It was a relief to see Rochelle still waiting for him, even if the look on her face was that of worry.

She blinked, "Cher? What happened? Are you alright?"

He caught her as she rushed to him, laying his hands gently on her shoulders, _I am fine, my dear… The visit was just far quicker than I expected…_

"So I see… What happened, cher?"

She looked up at him, fingers curved over his. There was something wrong, she could tell. Although his touch was gentle as always, he stood so rigidly and spoke so distantly. It was as if the conversation still unknown to her was swirling around in his head, blocking him from truly being there at all. She stood on the tips of her toes to reach his face, touching his cheek lightly to get his attention. He didn't mean to, but he was scaring her. Something very bad must have happened.

He seemed to come back to the room, looking down at her, sighing deeply, _I apologize, dear… It was an unsettling visit… The Sickness has not subsided at all, and neither has her insanity…_

"It's not your fault, cher," She insisted, "We knew this was a possibility. What… what did she say?"

 _Same as what she always asked for before… For Zalgo… Only this time, she made the demand that I bring him back to her… Worse of all, she knows I can…_

Rochelle startled, backing away a step in shock, red eyes wide and a little fearful, "Cher… You can't do that! He is evil and vicious and-"

 _I know that, Rochelle… But she is very demanding… She is threatening to kill if she doesn't-_

They were both interrupted by a harsh knock at the door which may as well have been a kick for all the good it did. Before anyone could even answer, the door was opened and two figures walked inside. Or rather, one stormed in and the other hung back with a tired expression on their face. Slender and Rochelle turned to them in surprise.

Kate wasted no time in getting right to the point as usual, "Well Shadowman here said you'd had a word with Jane. So I wanna know what's next,"

Shad sighed in exasperation, "Sir, I did say that she needed to wait but she just wouldn't listen to reason."

"Oh don't go tattling on me, Shadowman, or I'll start blabbing about you staying the night over your lady-friends house."

"I- That- Oh for goodness sake, have you no maturity?"

"I ain't got patience," She corrected, turning her attention back to Slender and a very bemused looking Rochelle, "So? What's the plan?"

Slender had to take a moment to recover and just catch up to the conversation, _There is no plan as of yet, Kate… I have only just returned…_

"Alright, well what did she say?"

"I already explained this to her, Sir," Shad insisted, "Things don't just happen…"

 _It's alright, Shadow Lurker…_ He sighed, _Jane is not any better than expected, unfortunately she seems worse…_

"But we still want to help her, we just don't know how," Rochelle sighed, looking puzzled.

"What did she want?" Kate asked, "Zalgo again?"

 _She… She believes I have the ability to bring Zalgo back…_

Kate narrowed her eyes, "Well why in tarnation would she think that?"

"You can't do that, right, Sir?" Shad asked in alarm.

What could he say? He had made a promise not to lie to them, any of them. But this was different. Jane knew that Slender did indeed have the ability to bring Zalgo back. That information was her leverage right now, but if the quarantine room did its job, then it would be an empty threat. He did not want to scare anyone, and the truth would do just that. Honesty against protectiveness. The constant battle going on inside his mind. Finally, he chose not to answer. If he moved around the question, he wouldn't have to lie and he wouldn't cause panic. He just had to choose his words very carefully.

 _Everybody calm down… Now there's no need to take too much notice of her accusations, I would have thought that it was obvious that Zalgo will not be coming back in any shape or form…_

"Of course he isn't," Rochelle said firmly, touching Slender's arm reassuringly. She agreed silently that this was the best thing to do for now. The little ones had been through enough lately…

"Well sure he ain't!" Kate said firmly, "The girl needs serious help."

 _Well that is what I plan to give her and I need time to think…_ Slender snapped suddenly, feeling the strain getting to him. There were just too many questions and things at risk here, _Could you both just give us a moment… I assure you I will get in contact as soon as I know what to do…_

The two exchanged a look, even Rochelle seemed unnerved. It was rare for him to snap like this unless there was something more going on. But they all silently agreed on one thing. When that tone arrived, it was time to back off fast.

"Just uh… make sure you do." Kate muttered, wanting the last word on the matter to be definite before taking her leave with Shad.

The room fell into an awkward silence. The door was closed again, leaving Rochelle and Slender alone with nothing but the remains of a past conversation drifting around in the air. What now? They couldn't tell them… They couldn't admit that Zalgo might just come back if Slender allows it. He didn't know what to do anymore. It was all getting too much again and again.

 _I promised them no more lies, Rochelle…_

"You didn't lie." She said quietly, holding her hands together tightly, "I do not like to lie either, cher. You know more than anyone that I cannot stand being left in the dark, let alone put others in a similar position. But in this particular case… Slender, they cannot know you have that power. You didn't lie, because Zalgo will not be coming back."

 _I know that… But please, let me handle this…_

"I am only trying to help. I apologize if I was out of line but I would rather them never have to fear over Zalgo's return than constantly be wondering if you would ever give into Jane."

 _You know I would never…!_

"Jane is clever. She is one step ahead and you know that. Cher, I believe that you want what's best for our petites. Truly. I was just trying to help."

 _Rochelle… If I don't find a way to fix her, then I may just have to agree to her terms… Or she'll kill you and everyone around us…_

"She can't leave that room." Rochelle said with a hint of sadness, "I know from experience."

He startled, looking at her with an air of regret and surprise. But he knew he deserved that, _My dear I… I am sorry…_

Even she looked surprised at her own words. She lowered her eyes, "I know, and I have forgiven you. But I can't let you think that Jane will win this time. Trust your own abilities, cher. And trust in me. The others can't know what you can do for Zalgo…"

 _I know you're right, I just promised them, and you, that I would not lie again…_

"Which we all appreciate. I'm sorry, cher. I didn't mean to put you in this position. I just can't handle the fear anymore…"

 _Neither can I, my dear… I need to think of what to do next, but I have to tell them at some point if things progress as they have… You understand, yes…?_

"I do. Things will be safe for us again soon, won't they cher?"

 _They will, Rochelle… I promise…_

* * *

Laughter. If anyone was to brave enough to venture close to the quarantine door and press their ear against it, that's all they would have heard. Laughter. High pitched and half shriek-like cackles that bounced along the tiled walls. Jane had gone back to sitting on the bed, letting the laughter escape her throat like she was in desperate need of purging and this was the only way to do it. Her eyes were glistening and alert. Everything about her was alive and restless.

The way Slender flinched at her words… Ran away like a coward… It was almost as delicious as her last feed…

Of course, she'd meant every little thing she'd said. If he didn't bring Zalgo back to her, then she really would start killing people here. She didn't want to, they were her friends! But, if it meant getting her daddy back, she would even kill herself all over again if she could. It didn't matter to her in the long run what friends she lost. They couldn't feed her, or take away this burning agony inside her head and under her skin! Only daddy could do that.

"Slenderman walked away from me, daddy…" She cackled, dragging her nails against the tiles to create a gritty scraping noise, "He ran away! Haha! You know what that means? Guilty! Secrets! Thief!"

She collapsed onto her side, curled up among the thin sheets like an invisible force was tickling her sides. The burning fading as her madness grew.

"He'll come back after I've shown him I'm not kidding no more," She promised, turning her attention to the door, "Doors don't keep out the dead, silly Slendy, doesn't he know that?"

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry for such a short chapter compared to normally. Next chapter will be a little longer I promise! I'm just setting up the stage for the next blow out, lol XD I hope you guys liked it anyway! Next update will be soon!**


	13. Winds of Change

**A/N:**

 **So last we left off, Jane had made some pretty high demands with some very high threats. But, she can't do anything when she's locked up tight in a ghost proof room right? Can she? But what's going to happen? Read on to find out! XD**

"Do you have to do that so damn loudly?"

Trixie froze, lifting the pencil away from the paper a fraction and stopping the quiet scratching sounds that it made, "Sorry."

Alice rolled her eyes, "Forget it."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. As always."

"That's kind of what I'm worried about," She muttered, putting her things down and looking over at Alice with a cautious expression, like dealing with a bomb, "Alice, you know you can talk if something bothering you, right? I mean… You let me vent to you before."

"Sorry if I don't feel like grabbing the ice-cream and the girly mags for a sleep over gossip session…"

"Good. We're kinda out of ice-cream." She said quietly, hoping to try a little big of humour.

She didn't seem to fully appreciate it, "Don't be a smart ass, Trix, it doesn't suit you."

"I know. I'm just trying to lighten the mood." Trixie sighed, "What's wrong?"

"Besides having a ghost psychopath locked up under the same roof as us and dealing with an insufferable douche? I'm peachy."

"What… happened, between you and Jeff?"

Her eyes hardened, "An argument, what else?"

"But… this seems to have affected you a lot more than usual. Look, I know it's not my place to say but you made me talk things through before about… about Ben. So, you know, why not talk to me now?"

"Or you're going to make me?" She scoffed, "Get over yourself, Trix, we're not friends."

"Maybe not," Trixie shrugged, "But you have stopped calling me Newbie so I'll take that as a step up."

For a moment Alice didn't say a thing. Then she rolled her eyes and gave up the tiniest hint of a smile, "Bitch."

Trixie half laughed, "Not really, just wanting to return a favour. So, what happened?"

Alice sighed, "Besides Jeff being the biggest asshole on the planet and me threatening to kill him if he comes near me? Nothing much."

"Wow," She blinked, looking concerned. They had a lot of fights, sure, but there had never been any death threats. That one was new, "What did he do?"

She seemed to appreciate that, rather than the question being 'what did you do' or 'what happened' again. Alice became blank faced, not wanting to go into details, but she had to say something, "All I'm saying is that he spoke to me like someone else did once. I promised myself I'd never have to put up with that shit again, so I won't put up with it from him."

"What did he say?"

"Doesn't matter now. He won't say it again."

"Okay… Um, so, who did he remind you of? When he sad what he said, I mean."

"The reason I'm here in the first place," She shrugged, "My first kill."

Trixie blinked, a lump forming in her throat, "That's um… Jesus…"

"Yeah."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Me? I am going out to the club," She stood up, brushing some crumbs from her sandwich off her lap, "I'm singing tonight, need a little extra cash. What about you?"

Okay, wow that was a quick transition, "Uh, I'm not sure. This probably." She indicated to her drawing pad.

"Boring… I would invite you along but I've got a Slendy job straight after."

Trixie gave her an odd look, "You would invite me? Why? I mean not that I wouldn't want to go it's just, you just said we weren't friends."

"We're not. But drinking alone is pathetic and I'm in need of one soon."

"I'm not really much of a drinker…"

"I know, which is why it'll be more fun," Alice shrugged, a rare smile on her face.

"Lucky me…" Trixie couldn't help but chuckle. What the hell, a few drinks and a night of pretending to be normal would be great in the near future, "Sure, why not? Next time, lets go for it."

Alice shrugged a shoulder, "Later."

"Bye."

As Alice picked up her bag and left the room, she apparently didn't notice that she was being watched. She carried on her way down the corridor, change of clothes, make-up, cards and pocket knife in her bag at easy reach. For good reason. Danger was everywhere. But after a while, she started to recognize the footsteps coming closer. She sighed. Not again. She had enough of this and she'd given him plenty of warning.

"Leave me alone, Jeff."

* * *

"So what did happen with Jane?" Toby asked, sitting at the table, once again attempting to play a game of chess with Masky but ignoring the rules completely.

Masky sighed in frustration, "We don't know. Your knight doesn't go there…"

"He's a knight, he can roam free."

Jack sat on the floor, petting Smile's fuzzy head and trying not to listen to the conversation. He didn't want to hear about Jane. He wanted things to be like they were before all this. When things were just… calmer, "Is Slender okay?"

Hoody took his hand, making shapes with his own hand and pressing them against Jack's palm. It was strange that a mute could translate words to a blind person, but appreciated and very clever. In fact, Jack actually preferred someone talking to him like this. There were no loud noises, and the contact meant that he wasn't alone. It was comforting. He waited for Hood to finish passing on the message that Slender was just fine and safe, before sighing in relief.

"Can… Can Jane go soon? She's… not right." Jack mumbled.

Smile nudged his head into the boys chest. Besides being a dog in shape, he was a demon, and therefore far more intelligent than people gave him credit for. He understood that Jane was pulsing with Sickness and a threat to them all. He also knew that Slender wasn't telling them something. But he couldn't pass on the message as clearly as he wanted to. Instead it was his job to guard. Especially towards the younger ones who couldn't handle the strain. Right now, that was Jack.

"Slender will have a plan," Masky assured, "We just have to wait until he tells us."

"It'll be soon," Toby nodded, having no lack of faith in their leader, "Hey I win,"

"You don't win…" Masky sighed, adjusting the board again.

Hoody rolled his eyes, smirking a little. He liked Toby, he was always good for a laugh. Which, lets face it, they needed at a time like this. He ruffled Jack's hair lightly, trying to tell him that things would be okay in the end. If only they were kept in the loop a little more. Slender was a good leader, and he always did what was best for them, but… sometimes he was as clueless as they were. He wasn't afraid to admit that. But he stood by his leader. Things would work out in the end. They had to.

The comfortable silence was broken by a slight drop in temperature. Smile didn't hesitate to jump to attention, accidentally nudging Jack backwards a little against the sofa. His ears pricked up and his unnaturally sharp fangs bared in a low growl. Something wasn't right here… He barked, loudly, holding a stance that was ready for attack.

"S-Smile?" Jack stuttered, looking scared. He could feel it too, something was happening. Something bad!

The demonic hound turned and bit the shoulder of Jack's black hoody as carefully as he could, giving a little tug to get him moving, nudging him towards Slender's office door.

Masky blinked, leaving the failed chess game forgotten, "Smile what's wrong, boy? What- hey!"

Smile jumped on his hind legs, using his front paws to shove against Masky's side, also pushing him away. He was getting more and more antsy, his fur standing on edge and revealing more of his burnt-looking skin underneath. He was growling, barking and desperately trying to get them moving. It was getting closer, colder! He had to stop this!

"Easy, boy, what's happening?" Toby asked, making the mistake of crouching down to Smile's level. Ending up being pushed onto his back, "Well then…"

The dog growled at them, feeling a small amount of guilt when he noticed the black tears slipping down Jack's scared and confused little face. But this was necessary! He turned away from them, standing in front of them protectively, growling at the common room door.

A shadow was starting to seep forward. Their breath started to mist in the air, darkness started to dim the room gradually. It was getting closer. Jack was crying, Hoody and Masky held him close and finally got the message to try get closer to Slender's office. Toby shuffled back on the floor, ligaments popping as he did. What was happening? The room span. Darker and darker. Colder and colder.

The shadow started to form a shape. Smile lunged, teeth bared ferociously. The air became ice. The lights went out. There was a scream. There was a cackle. There was a snarl. Then there was silence…

When the lights came back on. Black and red blood stained the floor.

* * *

Trixie went back to her drawing, but she had a lot to think about. She was actually glad she had something to look forward to now. A night away from all of this to just hang out and pretend to be normal would be much appreciated. Sure she wasn't a drinker, but a change of scenery was in dire demand. Apparently Slender had gone to visit Jane, but he hadn't explained what had happened. Jane could be ready for a free pass out of here or she could be laying in ashes right now, she had no idea. The guess work was horrible, so maybe that's why she was so willing to accept Alice's offer and get out for a night.

She sighed, back in the silence once more. It honestly disturbed her that Alice and Jeff weren't even talking. And she'd actually delivered a real death threat. Sure Jeff wasn't the nicest person around, to put it politely, but for her to admit that he reminded her of her first kill… She'd guessed that Alice's first kill was something she used to have feelings for. Rumours went around fast here after all. But… It was hard to explain, Jeff must have really done it this time. In a way, Trixie really hoped they would be okay. In her private thoughts, she always kinda routed for those two. Plus if they worked things out then there would be less headaches all around so that was a bonus. But she knew it wasn't her business. She'd talk to Alice if needs be, since things seemed to be going pretty good there. It was fun having girl talk again. That was one of the biggest things she missed. Besides family.

She wondered what it would feel like to hate someone that much to kill them. Or threaten to. She couldn't remember if she'd ever done something like that before. She'd come very close to hating someone purely. Jeff being one of them, even Toby, but then they had accidentally killed her family. She still hadn't forgiven them for that. But she had come to understand that it can't be changed, and to remain bitter in a place surrounded in Sickness was not a good idea. Plus Toby had many unhateable qualities. As for Jeff, well, he was Jeff. There was a time when she thought she'd hated Ben… But, no. She didn't. She tried to imagine what it would feel like to hate him enough to wish him dead. Or rather wish him out of existence since he was already dead. But she couldn't. She just couldn't. She sighed. Maybe… Maybe she wasn't as mad at him as she thought anymore. In truth, she kind of missed him.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had put her drawings aside and opened up the laptop that was on the side. Having learned this trick in the past, she loaded up the 'Cleverbot' website and started typing.

User: Haunted Major's Mask

Cleverbot: BEN.

User: What happened to BEN?

Cleverbot: He drowned.

User: Ben? I'm ready to talk, if you are.

The moment she pressed send, the screen was already starting to turn to static. She swallowed hard, no going back now. Backing up a little to give him room, she watched Ben slither in a stream of static from the laptop screen and merge into his proper form in the middle of the kitchen. He looked curious, but like he was treading on eggshells around her. She didn't want that, she didn't want him to be cautious around her, just considerate.

"You called?" He said with a hint of a usual cocky smile.

"Do you always stalk that dumb site?" She asked, returning the smile, just a little. Better to start off light hearted after all.

"It's good background noise until I hear something interesting." He eyed her pointedly, "So… what did you want to talk about?"

Was he tricking her? "You know what…"

"Yeah…" He nodded slowly, "You first."

"O-Okay… Um." She rubbed her arm awkwardly, "Well I uh, I pretty much said most of it the other day. I don't have anything against you, Ben, and I'm not saying I want you to change. But when you corner me, make over the line jokes at my expense and... a-and kiss me without permission and expect more it… It makes me feel like you don't really care of respect me."

"That's not true, Trix."

"It's how you make me feel sometimes though. You have a specific sense of humour, and I appreciate that. But… don't treat me like a plaything. I get that enough from Jeff and Jane and sometimes Alice, I don't need it from you too."

He lowered his eyes, looking like he was taking it all in, "To be honest, Trix, when you first got here, that's what you were."

"I know… But I'm not just a newbie anymore." She felt hurt at him admitting that. Even though she was perfectly aware of how things were back then. She just hoped things had changed now.

"No, you're not." He sighed, "Look, about what you overheard the other day, you didn't hear all of it."

"You keep saying," She said quietly, "That I'm just some fun for you to pass the time with."

"Yeah, I did say that. But… As weird as it sounds, that wasn't meant to be a bad thing." He shrugged a shoulder at the flat look she gave him, "Yeah I know, that does sound weird… I do think you're fun to be around, Trix, but it's not a pastime. I just like hanging around you."

"Because I give good reactions to your come ons," She said bitterly, "Because I want you, right?"

"Okay, yeah I said that too…" He sighed, this was not looking good for him, "And to be fair, you do give some funny reactions. Like your face goes bright red and you get all twitchy but… I like it. I like you, Trix."

"I like you too, Ben, but you can't treat friends like that. And… for a moment I thought that's what we were."

That one was like a punch in the gut, "Just friends, huh?"

Trixie averted her eyes, her face warming against her will, "I… don't know. Anything other than that doesn't really work out in a place like this." Look at Alice and Jeff for example, she added to herself.

"I don't know," He shrugged, braving a step closer to her, "Slendy and Rochelle are working out pretty good.

He had a point there and she knew it. She didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say. So instead, she asked a question, "What would you have said to Jeff and Toby, the other day if I hadn't have walked in? And please, don't just tell me what you think I want to hear. Be honest."

"Well to be honest, Trix, I wouldn't know what you wanted to hear… But, yeah, I probably would have made another joke about you wanting to get closer to me or something like that. Then, I would have said that I wanted to get closer to you too. And, no, not in a playing games kinda way. Like I said, I like you, Trix." He smirked lightly down at her, "You really think I would go through all this if I didn't?"

A lump was forming in her throat, and she couldn't get rid of it, "How do I know you're not just saying crap."

"Because I'm a guy and I usually say crap around other guys. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a liar."

That was true. Sure he twisted words and manipulated situations but he had never lied. That notion both relieved and scared her. She looked up at him, feeling twitchy under his soft stare, "I… don't know, Ben."

"You still think I'm playing games, don't you?"

"Don't you always?"

"Touché." He chuckled, "But sometimes I know when to stop."

"And when was that?" She asked, quietly and unsure if she wanted to know.

He shrugged a shoulder, "Not entirely sure. Maybe it was around the time we all got back in one piece, or before."

"Before?"

He took her hand and lifted it up to his eyelevel, tracing his thumb over the tiny scars that remained on her fingertips near her nails. They'd been caused by her clawing through a jagged, icy surface furiously enough to draw blood as she desperately tried to reach someone trapped underneath. Him. Trixie didn't understand what he meant at first, but it didn't take long for the dark, horrific memories to return. The fear, the cold, the desperation, and the Sickness. It was almost choking just the think about it. She averted her eyes and took her hand away from him.

"Don't say that if it's because you think you owe me."

"Hey, I saved you from Sickness and you did the same for me, we're even. We don't owe each other anything anymore."

She wanted to believe that, but there was always a catch with him. In fact everything had a catch around here: nothing stayed good for long, "Ben, please stop."

His brow furrowed, either confused or annoyed, she couldn't tell, "Stop what?"

"Stop trying to make be believe that you're not playing games... We both know you are really, and we both know that even if you weren't this wouldn't work anyway. Things like... Things like that just don't work in places like this. So stop, because it's not fair on anyone, okay?"

Ben stared at her, expression unchanging for a few seconds before he relaxed into a small smile, "You really think things like that don't work out here huh?"

"Well... we're either killers, dead, or planning to make people dead. Hardly good for, um, r-relationships." Her cheeks darkened at the word. Was she really encouraging this?

"Not really, but as I said, Slendy and Rochelle seem to handle it well." He commented pointedly, "You sure you want to tell them your theory?"

"That's different! They're both... Well they have history and-"

"Trix," He cut her off gently, shrugging as if trying to brush off a harsh comment, yet his relaxed expression didn't leave him, "I can take a hint when it suits me. If that's what you think, then I doubt I'll be the one to convince you otherwise."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'll stop if you're that convinced. It's cool. But I disagree."

He stayed long enough to touch her arm, smiling in a way that just didn't look right. It didn't look like him. And before she could say anything else, he let her go and turned on his heel to start walking away from her. She watched him, and... felt disappointed again, and also so sad. But she didn't understand why. Yes, he had a point that Slender and Rochelle were making it work between them, and it was wonderful to see. But she just couldn't see how it would work with anyone else here. It didn't make sense to her. But when he walked away like that, something in her stomach twisted horribly. Was this another of his games? All past experiences said yes it was and she should walk away too. But that look on his face, the complete lack of sarcasm about him, it made her question it all. Now... Now she didn't know what to believe.

"Ben." She said suddenly, stepping forward a little to try and reach him.

He stopped, but didn't turn around, "Yeah?"

Trixie swallowed hard, shaking a little as she walked in front of him and looked up to meet his eyes. She couldn't think of a damn thing to say. So she acted instead. Her throat was dry and her fingers shook, more than half convinced that this was a bad idea, but she'd started now and couldn't bring herself to be a coward and stop now. She reached a hand up to cup his cheek, waiting a moment to see if he reacted. When he didn't, she used that hand to ease him closer to her, keeping her eyes on his until she felt their lips touch.

The feeling was so alien to her and yet so familiar. He was cold, but not icy, just comfortably chilled. He didn't react at first, as if taking in the moment, before leaning in and submitting to her, tilting his head to get closer to her. Trixie felt her heart hammering against her chest, both in fear and in excitement. But she couldn't bring herself to keep this going longer than necessary. She wanted to make a point, and she hoped she'd done it by doing this. Slowly, and almost reluctantly, she parted her lips from his, ending the kiss but staying close to him. Fearing that if they got too far away from each other, this moment might not have happened. She looked up at him, waiting worriedly for his response.

Ben sighed, a small crocked smile toying the corner of his mouth, "Don't play mind games with me, Trix."

She half laughed, but avoided his gaze to do so. Even if he was trying to lighten the mood, she didn't want this to be for nothing, "I'm not like you."

"Good." He put his fingers under her chin to lift her head up, looking down at her questioningly, "So... does this mean you've changed your mind?"

"It... It means... I'm willing to try."

"Glad to hear," He chuckled, moving his hand to her cheek, "So am I."

Her head tilted into his palm without her realising, making her cheeks warm again, "What about... the others?"

"What about them?"

"Do we tell them? I mean... What do we tell them?" She didn't want to put a label on this if there was none to give. She was willing to try, as was he, but trying was different to staying.

"Personally, I don't think it's any of their business. But whatever happens, I say we tell the truth."

"Wh-Which is?"

He grinned, leaning in to brush his lips over her cheek, "That we're giving things a try."

The corner of her mouth turned up in a small, shy smile, "Okay."

"Okay." She chewed her lip awkwardly, "But… if things don't work out? I-I mean we-"

Before she could say anything else, he caught her lips with his again, one hand moving to the small of her back. She blinked in surprise at first, but the shock didn't last as long now she was kind of expecting this kind of thing to happen more often. She leaned against him, accepting his actions and returning them. Maybe this was another joke, or maybe this was going to crash and burn, or even maybe this was a delusion that she was going to wake up from in a few seconds. But she didn't care. Because right there and then, she felt safe, and she felt happy.

Likewise, Ben enjoyed how warm she was against him, her heart felt like it was beating fast enough for both of them. Which he couldn't figure if it was from fear or nervousness. But to be honest, he wasn't really worried. She'd finally listened to him. And… looks like he finally listened to her. It was a huge weight off his shoulders. Maybe things would actually start looking up now. One good thing to set the ball rolling. He wondered how long he could stay with her like this. Surely a little longer at least?

"HELP!"

The two jolted in surprise at the shrill cry and the bang of the door bursting open. Trixie gripped his shoulders tight in fear, turning her head to look at the intruder. Ben pulled her back a little protectively, ready to send static at whoever it was. But the two froze when they say the blind, fumbling little figure of Jack.

He was sobbing, black ooze running down his face. He fell to the floor, trying to feel his way around, "Help! Please!"

"Hey, it's alright, kid," Ben assured, crouching to his level, "Calm down…"

"Jack?" Trixie gasped, rushing to him and putting her hands on his shoulders, looking down at the sobbing boy, "Jack, what's wrong?"

"S-Smile…" He cried, stepping forward and hiding his face on her shoulder, shaking like a leaf, "J-Jane she- and- I felt her S-Sickness a-and- She killed Smile!"

 **A/N:**

 **So… That happened! But was it Jane? She's locked up tight, right? Smile has to be okay, right? Trixe and Ben are taking a step at least, or will this dampen the mood a little? How about Jeff and Alice? So many questions… When will they be answered? Find out soon! XD**


	14. The Right Note

**A/N:**

 **So… little of a cliffhanger last time. Let's see where it goes!**

Jeff kept his hood up high over his head, avoiding bumping into anyone if he could help it. But it was difficult being in a crowded environment like this. Why did he even come here? This was a waste of time. Seriously, what was the point? This was bullshit. But there was enough bullshit going on and when push comes to shove, this bullshit was the fastest to clean up. Or at least he hoped.

Unfortunately that meant following Alice into that god damn club again. But where the hell was she? It couldn't be that hard to find her, she was pretty hard to miss all things considered. As long as he was missed by everyone around him, then he should be fine. Alright, Jeff, think, she's singing tonight apparently, where do the singers go? On stage. Brilliant, genius. He growled to himself, his head just wasn't in the game today. It was killing him. He hated it. He stormed through the people, not caring if someone spat some abuse at him when they collided. What did he care? Knowing recent luck he'd be killing most of them at some point anyway.

So he was guessing going backstage wasn't the best thing to do right now, since he could see people moving on the actual stage in the darkness. The speakers played music, but the actual stage was in darkness, ready to be set up. He was about to throw caution to the wind and just go backstage anyway, when suddenly the speakers stopped playing their music. As soon as they did, someone started singing, loud and powerful. And familiar.

( **Brave – Sumo Cyco** )

" _I'm losing all control again, a paradox that never ends, I'm bound to what they've made of me, I'm tied to their authority!_ " The lights burst onto the stage, flooding the area to show the band and the lead singer. Alice stood centre stage, holding the microphone attached to a stand, dressed in back jean-shorts, black buckled boots that came up to her knees, a red cami decorated with a diamante skull with a black leather jacket. Her unusually dark auburn hair hung in waves around her face and down her back, wild and styled. She wore a red lipped smirk, relishing the stage light and crowds noises. The song suddenly stopped with the heavy guitars, donning a steady beat instead for her to sing again, " _Empty shell… Empty room full of nothing, substance please, like some disease. I can't feel anything… Void is a man who has time on his hands and he's got a plan, to swallow the world…_ "

Jeff rolled his eyes at her smug look. She hadn't seen him yet, but he was kind of counting on that. It sure made a difference seeing her with a smile on her face, looking like she was enjoying herself. Sure he'd seen her perform before, but this was the first time it was alone. Well he assumed so… He still couldn't remember much from the last time he was here with her. Which is probably why he hadn't stolen a drink yet.

" _So trudge through the mire, I'm weakened! When everything seems so impossible!_ " Alice grinned, pulling the mic from its stand and turning on the spot quickly on that last word before facing the audience with an arm in the air, the music picking up for the chorus," _Losing all control again! A paradox that never ends! I'm bound to what they've made of me! And tied to their authority! I'm fighting off the demons but they just keep on winning only I know… how to brave what's inside of me! How to brave what's inside of me!_ " She help the mic out to the audience, and that's when she noticed him standing there. Jeff. Front row. Right there. Shit. She hesitated for a moment. Almost missing the next line, cutting it so close that she had to yank the mic back towards her and turn away," _Brave what's inside of me!_ "

This had honestly shaken her. Why was he following her when she told him not to? Hadn't a death threat been enough? Why here and now? This was her place! He wasn't welcome here anymore. Great now she'd missed a cue in the choreography. Oh well, no one seemed no notice. She was here to sing, not to prance around like an idiot. Her grip on the mic tightened as she forced it back into its stand. She looked directly at him, face darkening pointedly. Not quite as if she was singing at him, more like she was warning him with her eyes to get lost. She just happened to be singing at the same time. Hey just because she was pissed off didn't mean the band would stop playing.

Her finger went to her temple as she sang the next line, glaring at him, " _Hollow head, hollow point pointing at me, do ya dare? As if I care! I can't feel anything!_ " She straightened up, sweeping her free arm out like she was making a point," _Future's a place in a dead mental case with no memory trace, to prove it's anything!_ "

Jeff rolled his eyes, what was she trying to prove? That she was better than him because she could show her face openly in public? Or just that she didn't give a shit? Either way, he didn't care. Why would he? He just wanted to have one talk with her to get this shit cleared up. Of course that meant waiting for the song to finish.

Alice had starting walking from one end of the stage to the other, confidence and lack of concern radiating from her as she had a little bounce in each step, " _So trudge through the mire, I'm weakened! When everything seems so impossible! Losing all control again! A paradox that never ends! I'm bound to what they've made of me! And tied to their authority! I'm fighting off the demons but they just keep on winning only I know… how to brave what's inside of me!_

She stamped her foot down as she returned to centre stage, staring straight ahead and pumping her fist in the air, " _Anchor, my ship down to the depths of the deep blue sea! Redefine in your mind! Triumph and try to find something pure for me…!_ " She dropped down to one knee as the music became quiet again, smirking wryly for dramatic flair as she pushed her hair back, " _I'm losing all control again, a paradox that never ends, I'm bound to what they've made of me, I'm tied to their authority!_ "

She jumped to her feet, the music picking up again, spinning on the heel of her boot before stamping down to face the crowd again, " _I'm fighting off the demons but they just keep on winning only I know… how to brave what's inside of me! How to brave what's inside of me! Losing all control again! A paradox that never ends! I'm bound to what they've made of me! And tied to their authority! I'm fighting off the demons but they just keep on winning only I know… how to brave what's inside of me! How to brave what's inside of me! Brave what's inside of me! Brave what's inside of me!_ "

The music came to a sudden stop, the lights blaring down on her as she s tuck her final pose. She breathed deeply, her throat dry and forehead starting to bead with sweat. The crowd cheered, applauded and there was even the occasional whistle sent her way. The rush of adrenaline pulsed through her as the music stopped. This is the rush she loved. This was the highlight of her life, despite what people thought about her. Sure the rush of a stealthy mission for Slendy was… thrilling. But this right here, that's what she loved. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and was surprised to see that Jeff had vanished. Maybe that was a good thing. She wasn't sure what she would say to him anyway.

She bowed, sashaying off stage while the band got ready for their next performance. Not that she was going to sing again. That was the deal she had with the owner of this place. She sang one or two songs, got cash in hand, and she was out. He got the customers and she got the money. Simple, no middle man. She sighed, waving at a few more people as she passed, keeping up the nicey nice impression for a little while longer until she reached the dressing room. She locked the door behind her and turned around, almost getting a heart attack when she did. Sitting there in front of the dressing table, was Jeff.

"Jesus, boy, can't you knock or wait outside like a normal person?"

He looked smug at being able to scare her, "Normal isn't really our thing remember?"

"You could still take a hint when someone says to leave them alone," She spat, standing aside so he could see the door, "Get out."

"No."

"Get out!"

"Whoa, jesus calm down! Look I want to know what the hell happened the other night cuz I have no idea."

"Oh there's a shock…" She rolled her eyes, "You were more of an ass than usual and I said I'd kill you if you ever spoke to me like that again. It's simple really. Now I'd like you to leave."

"Well tough, I'm not. Why did you get so pissed about how I spoke? I mean we yell at each other all the time, you never went all psycho on me like that before."

"Jeff, for the record," She sighed with a flat look, "You're only digging a deeper grave talking to me like that."

"Christ… Just tell me what you want from me, alright?" He huffed, looking between anger and just plain giving up.

She pushed her hair back, looking close to giving up herself. Who was she kidding? He was an idiot, he wasn't leaving anytime soon. Trying to act as passive as possible about the situation, she walked past him and hid herself behind the curtain in the corner to change clothes without an audience.

"What I want, Jeff, is an apology."

"Apology? What for?"

"The age old question… If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you. I've already said it twice now."

He picked up a hairbrush from the table and debated throwing it full force at the curtain, but then thought better of it, setting the object back down again and taking one hell of a deep breath, "You're talking about the argument the other day right?"

"Want a gold star?"

"I just- Ugh… Fine. I'm sorry. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." She rolled her eyes, stepping out from behind the curtain, wearing her usual black skinny jeans and red top.

"I just don't get it, we fight all the time. You actually find it fucking funny! What… What the hell happened?"

"You crossed a line," She said honestly. Hey if she wanted him to leave, it seemed straight answers were going to go a long way with that, "Calling me a bitch or whatever like you usually do is one thing, but the way you acted back then, that was vile. No one speaks to me like that. Understand?"

"Yeah I uh… Heard." He folded his arms, leaning against the wall and averting his eyes grudgingly, "You and the newbie talking earlier."

"Eavesdropping as well, this isn't looking good for you."

"You said I sounded like someone else. First kill…" He looked uncomfortable, like he really just wanted to forget all this crap and go home. But what good would that do? Fuck all, "Your… ex, I guess."

"Does that bother you?" She asked, eyes narrowing.

"Kinda."

"It should," She said harshly, facing him straight on and her fists clenched. All of her anger fizzing hotly under her skin that had been building since the argument, "You insult me. He degraded me! So I was serious when I said I'd kill you if you spoke to me like that again."

He pushed his hair back, still not looking at her, voice gravelly like he didn't want to keep talking, "I just… Look I was mad alright?"

"When aren't you? That's no excuse!"

"You were talking about that club over and over and there's enough shit going on without throwing that in! Why is it relevant?"

"It's… Not."

"Then why bring it up all the god damn time?"

"Because it's the closest thing to normal around here!" She yelled suddenly, a cold look in her eye that she only gave when she was well and truly pissed, "Drunken mistakes, dealing with it, it's normal! It's what normal people do! I want… I just wanted to feel that for a little while." She clenched her fists and glared at him, "I want normal."

Jeff swallowed hard, face tight in frustration, "We're not fucking normal. We're killers who work for a demon so we don't get killed ourselves. That is the furthest fucking thing from normal there is!"

"I know that! I… I like killing, alright? We kill Sickness to stop people getting infected and that's great but I miss normal sometimes. That's why I invited you out after we thought Jane was gone. That's why I got pissed when you couldn't remember anything that happened. Because even though all this other shit is going on… that was at least something normal."

"So… it wasn't that you were mad at me, you were just pissed that I wasn't playing along pretending to be normal with you?"

"That's still being mad at you, jackass… And no it's not just that."

"Then… what else is it?" He asked, a numb irritation burning the back of his mind. Like he really wanted to be pissed off but just couldn't manage it. In a way, he could kind of relate. Hell he couldn't even walk down the street without someone seeing his scars or lack of eyelids. But he wouldn't admit that ever.

She folded her arms tightly. Turning her back on him and busying herself with putting her things back in her bag as if getting ready to leave, "I'm late for a Slender job."

Obvious topic avoidance was obvious. He rolled his eyes, "Look, in all honesty or whatever, I didn't mean to sound like your… ex. Back there. It was a line and I… jumped it."

"By a fucking mile."

"Yeah alright," He snapped, "I get it."

"Good. Never do it again."

"If it'll avoid you bitching out again. Sure."

"Don't count on it," She arched an eyebrow at him. It wasn't a sign that she'd forgiven him. Not by a long shot. She took pride in how long she could hold a grudge. What he did, was not an apology, but it was the closest she was ever going to get. Beggars couldn't be choosers. At the end of the day, she was tired. So damn tired.

"What did he do to you?" Jeff asked suddenly, "To make you kill him."

"None of your business,"

"You know why I killed my family," He shrugged a shoulder, "You know the line not to cross. Figured it was a two way street."

"Since when are you attempting to be logical?"

"Since you threatened to kill me."

She sighed, Please let this night be over soon. She narrowed her eyes, avoiding eye contact with him. She was ashamed of why she killed that man. At herself. Because in her eyes, it was all so stupid and so avoidable. It took her a while, but she finally spoke. Stiffly, like she really didn't want to, "In short, he convinced me to run off with him when I was fourteen, he was over twelve years older than me, and he made me feel special. Then he used me for gambling, sex, and a punch bag when he got pissed. Way too late, I figured what a scum bag he was, and I killed him before he killed me. There. Done. That's it."

There was so much more to that story and they both knew it. But it seemed that was as good as he was going to get. He swallowed hard. Being used for all that shit well, it was pretty grim. And at fourteen? Hell, he wasn't much older when things started to fall to shit for him. He shifted uncomfortably, shrugging a shoulder, "That uh… sucks."

"Yeah. It did. But he's dead. And I'll kill anything that reminds me of it. Which is probably why I jumped at the chance to work for Slender. Then… well the rest is history."

"Guess so."

"Can you stop acting like I'm about to stab you?" She asked harshly, "You already said you would watch yourself so can we just stop now? Go back to… normal?"

"Our normal or normal normal?"

"Ours, idiot," She sighed.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure."

The corner of her mouth twitched, a little weight off her shoulders. She still wasn't happy, and there was still a lot going on in her head. But this was something. But with everything going on right now, this was something. This was good.

He gave her a look, "So you weren't lying when you talked about me being drunk and trying to get with you?"

And now we're back to bad… "No I wasn't."

"When you were, you know, threatening to kill me and shit, you talked about the club. That you were waiting for me to sober up? What did you mean by that?"

"You were drunk and trying to stick your tongue in my mouth," She arched an eyebrow, "Sorry if I cock blocked but I'm not into drunken man slut-ups."

"Yeah. So… I'm sober." He shrugged.

She narrowed her eyes quizzically. Oh no he was not doing this, "Jeff I… Just, don't even go there. Not right now."

"Wasn't going to," He said quickly.

"Good."

"Good."

The two fell into a silence. This was just getting uncomfortable now. What was he trying to imply there. Honestly, she had no idea and neither did he. It was just a comment that slipped out. Maybe they were just at the point where they knew nothing big was going to change and they were just looking for things to say. Jeff did have a point, there was a lot to focus on around them right now. Things like this… It was tricky to think about. Jane had too much of a grip on everything for this to be played out. Whatever it was. Alice wanted a bit of something normal, Jeff wanted to be free of a threat. These were things that couldn't happen at this point in time. It was infuriating. But it was true.

After what seemed like forever, they felt that the silence had gone on long enough. Alice had packed and repacked her bag twice already. There was nothing more to do here. She shrugged a shoulder and gave him an open look, "Like I said, I'm late for a kill. Want to tag along if you have steam to blow off?"

He looked a little surprised at the offer. But given the circumstances, he wasn't going to turn it down, "Yeah why not? You clearly need my help anyway."

"Yeah sure, asshole," She smirked, "I'm just making sure you don't do something stupid and I have to save your ass again."

"Like that ever happens, bitch."

At last, normality. For at least three seconds. Then all hell broke loose from outside the dressing room door.

"Holy shit she's got a gun!"

The sound outside turned from unsettled murmurs to full on panic and struggles. Jeff gave Alice a look. She rolled her eyes and lifted her palms, "I'm in here with you, genius."

"Well I don't use guns." He returned.

They both turned to look at the door again

"Kate…" They clarified in unison, sounding tired.

The door burst open, revealing a tall woman wielding a pistol. She looked pale, even for her. She marched into the room, staring down a the two with a wild look in her eye, "There you are!"

"Kate what the hell are you doing here?" Alice snapped.

"Things just went to a whole barrel of shit back with Slendy and y'all need to get back right now!"

"What the fucks that supposed to mean?" Jeff demanded.

"It's Smile… There was an overrun of Sickness somehow and… Little'un it ain't looking good."

The two stopped silent. Smile? Sickness overrun? Not looking good? What the fuck was going on around here?

"Was it Jane?" Alice asked carefully.

"It looks like it but she's locked up so it's a little-"

"That bitch killed my dog?" Jeff spat, refusing to listen to another word, "I'll fucking kill her."

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry that this was a pretty Jeff and Alice based chapter, especially with things hanging in the balance as they were. But I promise that the next chapter will have a few answers, a few little turns and a lot of drama. Until next time! XD**


	15. Rifts and Damage

**A/N:**

 **So I think I've left you waiting long enough. I apologize by the way! Things have been… Well things aren't exactly fun for me at the moment and I'm trying to get it fixed. No worries though, I'll still be uploading as and when I can! Onwards readers!**

The sight that lay before the group was… grotesque. That was the best way any of them could put it without a use of loud volume and curse words. The news spread fast about what had happened to Smile. Or rather what state Smile was in. No one really knew what had happened to him. According to Jack, he felt Sickness. According to Masky, Hoody and Toby, the air had gone cold, the lights were out and when they came back on, Smile was dead. There wasn't really much to go on. But it had still shaken everyone up.

Smile lay on the ground, motionless and stained in his own blood and Sickness. Red and black matted his patches of fur and lay seeped into the carpet. There were scratches and marks all over his face and body, a large chunk of flesh missing from his front right paw. He wasn't breathing. He was perfectly still. He was cold… Everyone was gathered around him in a state of pure shock. Nothing like this had happened, not to this magnitude, before. No one really knew what to do or how to fully react.

Trixie was letting tears falls down her cheeks silently, her arms wrapped around Jack who was sobbing into her side, staining her shirt black with his tears. Ben kept an arm around Trixie, unable to tear his eyes away from Smile. For someone who was dead, the sight of a corpse was no comfort to him. The same went for Kate, her eyes hardened in anger as she tried to process the scene in front of her. Hoody and Masky were skirting the room, trying to trace the Sickness, but really who could concentrate at a time like this? Toby stood as close as possible to Shad, neck twitching more than usual. Rochelle stood with Slender, her fingers covering her mouth in sorrow whereas he stood perfectly still in an attempt to assess the situations next steps. The only ones that had dared move closer to Smile were Alice and Jeff. Jeff glared down at the corpse, refusing to believe that it was real. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't…

"Jeff, he's g-"

He cut Alice off mid sentence by shaking his head stubbornly, "No. He's not."

"Mon petite…" Rochelle said quietly, feeling deep sympathy. She looked up at Slender, lip trembling, "Cher?"

Slender was silent, inside his head was a battle ground of what he had to do and what he felt he couldn't.

"I don't understand," Trixie muttered, "I-I thought Smile was a demon. D-Demons can d-die?"

"He's not fucking dead!" Jeff yelled suddenly, snapping his eyes harshly to burn into hers, making her flinch in alarm.

"Okay, bud, calm down," Ben intercepted.

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!"

"You'd better," Kate stepped in, giving a no nonsense look, "It ain't helping no one you yelling like this."

"Piss off…" He muttered, slowly turning his attention back to Smile, "Just piss off…"

Shad sighed deeply before turning to answer Trixie's question. His voice was heavy, slower, "Demons can… die. Such as Zalgo. But it takes a lot of power. Sickness… I just… can't figure out where it would come from."

Hoody clapped once to get attention, moving his hands to add to the conversation. Explaining that the Sickness seemed to have come from everywhere at once. Masky nodded, "He's right. We were there, nothing came in, the Sickness just seemed to appear from no where."

The group exchanged a look, confusion and a little fear. Toby looked up at Slender, "It isn't Jane, right? She's locked up."

"It felt like her," Jack whispered, trembling all over.

Slender couldn't answer. He was too occupied trying to make sense of this himself. That, and trying to answer a question. Jane had promised that if he didn't agree to her deal then his Proxies would be killed. Now Smile was dead somehow. It didn't make sense. But he knew it was her. There was no escaping that fact. Jane had done this. She would kill again and again if he didn't stop this. He looked down at Smile. A demon. A dead demon in his care. He could… stop this. He looked down at his hands. He could walk over to the poor canines body, and bring him back to life. Smile was a demon who had been branded, Slender had that power. He could end this suffering. He could…

But then that would mean revealing to the others that he could bring demons back, which would make them realize that he could bring Zalgo back too. They would panic. They would lose trust in him. They would be furious. However, they would have Smile and they would have some peace that he was being honest with them. He really didn't want to lie to them anymore. It wasn't fair on anyone. Above all, he could not let one of their own die because of his own pride. He had to bring Smile back. Be damned to the consequences of how the others would think of him. The truth would come out eventually. Why not now? He couldn't let Smile die.

 _Allow me some room please…_ Slender muttered, stepping forward before he could change his mind, extending his tendrils from his back and snaking them forward to coil around Smile's mangled body.

"Sir?" Shad questioned, having an odd feeling about this.

"Get off of him you-"

"Knock it off," Alice hushed, taking his shoulders to hold him back, eyes widening as she watched Slender continue. What the hell…?

"What's he doing?" Jack asked quietly in Trixie's ear, blind eyes blinking fearfully.

"I… I don't know." She replied, eyes wide and staring.

"Hush petites…" Rochelle said, looking both proud and sorrowful at Slender. He was doing the right thing. She knew this. She was just scared.

Slender was aware of his audience. But that didn't matter right now. He had someone to save. He wrapped Smile in his tendrils until it became a sort of cocoon for him, covering him from sight. Scarlet blood and black Sickness dropped grimly onto the carpet, leaving a smell in the air that was hard to stomach. Slender focussed on the limp creature in his grasp, seeking out the Proxy brand under his fur. Then, he focussed on his own Sickness. Letting it boil and hiss under his skin until it was almost too much to handle. Only then did he let it seep through into Smile. It was the same effect he used when he was seeking out a lost Proxy or branding one. Only now… the stakes were much higher.

He continued like that for what seemed an age. Slender fed his Sickness through to replace Smile's, allowing the affects to heal him and rebuild him. But that was only one step of the process. There was no guarantee it would work properly. It was a similar process to having a blood transfusion. Only more painful for both parties and a lot more risky if interrupted. Smile was a demon after all. One thing goes wrong and it may not be the same canine they knew. Slender needed all the concentration he could get. He focussed on the life that had once been there, doing his best to drag it back to health.

The others watched with a mixture of horror and intrigue. From the outside it looked as though Slender was trying to squeeze the life away from Smile. But that was of course impossible since he was already dead. So now it looked more horrific, that Slender was just squeezing his body into nothing. They wanted to interfere, but something told them not to. The air was icy cold with the Sickness in the air. What was going on? They looked at Rochelle. But she only had eyes for Slender, clasping her hands tightly and nodding ever so slightly as if offering silent encouragement. Whatever was happening, she wanted this. Maybe… that was a good sign? They didn't know anymore! They needed answers!

Slender fed his Sickness through over and over, feeling the strain draining him. Finally… Finally he stopped, panting for air as he uncoiled Smile from his grasp. The dog slipped to the ground. Looking as worn as battered as before. Only fewer cuts were in his skin, the bleeding stopped and the chunk of flesh missing on his paw now a deep scar. But he was still motionless. Or rather… He was motionless. Then, ever so gradually, his pelt started to slowly rise and fall in the hopeful motion of breathing.

"Smile?" Jeff muttered, going to his knees, touching the dogs head gingerly. Just because the bleeding had stopped didn't mean Sickness and blood was still damp in his fur, "Come on, mutt…"

For a moment. There was nothing. A horrible, painful nothing. Then… just like that. It happened. Smile looked up, eyes half lidded in fatigue and weakness. His tongue poked out to lick Jeff's hand. Jeff tugged his hand away, rubbing it on his jeans. But if anyone was brave enough to comment, there was a little pull of a smile in the corner of his scars. He half laughed in some relief, "Ugh… Don't go getting soft on me."

"Don't you go scaring us like that, boy!" Toby exclaimed.

"Thank god…" Trixie sighed in relief, hand on her hammering heart.

Smile growled lightly, then slumped back down to the ground, tired and worn and… asleep. Everyone was in a stunned state where they didn't know if they should laugh or cry or just leave where the stress was getting too much. Rochelle let out a happy sob and stepped forward to hug Slender around the middle.

"Cher… you were wonderful… Merci." She whispered.

"Yeah, he was freaking fantastic. Any y'all want to explain what the hell he just did?" Kate stepped in. Happy as hell to have Smile moving and breathing, but she was the one brave enough to ask the needed questions first.

Shad looked at him wide eyed, "Sir… Sir he was dead!" Smile grumbled in his sleep, causing Shad to clear his throat, "Not that I'm happy he's back but really, how? He was dead!"

"Weirder things have happened, Shaddy-boy." Ben smirked, kneeling down and petting Smile's head.

"Well yes but- Sir?"

Slender felt weak, empty. He half leant against Rochelle for support, half trying to keep his posture. Here it was… He was expecting it. But how did he explain? It was all so… Oh he was dizzy. He took a breath, holding up a hand to try and calm them down a moment while he collected his thoughts. It took a lot more out of him then he remembered. It didn't stop them throwing questions at him, but he didn't expect that. He just needed a moment.

Masky shook his head, "Sir… You brought a demon back from the dead."

"But you said you couldn't do that." Kate added suspiciously, "You said that when you got back from talking to Jane."

Finally, Slender had the energy to speak. He needed to explain before things got too out of hand. He took a breath, holding his head, _It's… yes it's true… I have the ability to bring demons back from their passing… But only if they have been branded by me or were executed by me…_

"Which explains Smile," Alice snapped, "But what the hell does this have to do with Jane?"

There was a long silence that no one wanted to fill. Looks were exchanged. Stillness took over. There seemed to be no way to move from this. No one knew what to do. Steadily, they all began to come to a realization. A grim, horrible realization.

One that Kate had assumed from the start, "You really can being Zalgo back. Jane knows it!"

Slender nodded slowly, _Yes…_

"Sir you said that you couldn't," Shad stepped in, looking like he'd been punched in the gut, "Why did you tell us that you couldn't?"

"He didn't," Rochelle said sternly, face set in determination, "I did. I said that Zalgo would not be coming back, because he won't. Slender would not let that happen and you all know it."

Jeff narrowed his eyes, still crouched at Smile's side, "We don't know shit! Everything that comes out around he ends up being a lie or a fucking twist of the truth!"

 _That is enough…!_ Slender bellowed out, _I apologize for not being completely honest but I did not intend for this to happen… Yes, I hid some part of the truth from you, but Rochelle is right, Zalgo will not be coming back by my hands and that is all that matters…_

"You could have told us…" Toby muttered, like a child trying to be stubborn towards a parent without getting in trouble.

 _Yes…_ Slender admitted, tired and broken, _Yes I should have and I know that… But I didn't want to worry you all when it is true that Zalgo is not coming back…_

"No offence, Slendy," Ben arched an eyebrow, glancing down at Smile, "But it looks like we got something to worry about."

They all followed his gaze, knowing he had a point. Zalgo wasn't even in existence anymore and one of their own was almost killed. What happened? How did this happen? It didn't make sense! Jane was locked inside a room that had so many of Slender's curses and hexes and Sickness plastered inside and out that there was no way she could escape to do something like this. It was impossible for a Proxy! Even one with multiple abilities like her!

 _I have to agree with you…_

"Will you just- Wait what?" Ben smirked, "Plot twist…"

Trixie rolled her eyes, stroking Jack's cheeks with a tissue to rid the black tears as she lowered him down carefully towards Smile, "So what do we do?"

The silence didn't last as long now. Rochelle took a breath, composing herself, "We do nothing."

"Uh, excuse me?" Alice scoffed.

"I'm going to stab her fucking brains out!" Jeff snapped.

"I'm not one to agree with extreme violence," Masky muttered, "But I agree we have to at least up the security around Jane just in case."

Slender held his head, still heavy with the after affects of the Sickness process, _No… I'm sorry, Rochelle, but I have to confront Jane about this… We need to know that this was her for sure and how she got out…_

"Really, cher, are you so blind by pride that you will go back in that room with her?" Rochelle asked incredulously, staring at him, "Another trap, you know that's what this could be!"

 _Perhaps… But I need answers…_

"We all do. But not by risking yourself again!"

 _Well doing nothing as you suggest will not help us…!_

"Your stubbornness will not help us!" She shot back, her French accent coming through thicker with her frustration. Why couldn't he see that Jane was playing him for a fool, "By doing nothing she'll know she has not beaten us! We can plan without her becoming aware!"

 _Then what…? We will have to confront her eventually…_

"Not while you are weak like this! Nom de Dieu, Slender, do you wish to die?"

 _I want all of you safe…! I have to face her now so we can find a way to put this behind us…!_

"If you go now then you are a fool." She said harshly, looking close to tears again, "S'il vous plait, cher… Listen to me."

Slender hesitated, looking for a moment as if he were going to literally and mentally break. But he turned his head away, voice quiet and regretful, _I'm sorry… But this needs to end…_

They watched in silence as he turned away, vanishing out into the corridor. Everyone noticed the slight sway to his step where his head was still spinning. He was weak, and he knew this. But he needed this to be over. He needed to talk to Jane and lay down a few threats of his own. He didn't care about the consequences towards himself. He only cared for the safety of the others. It hurt to turn away from Rochelle like that. He knew she had a point. But the idea of Jane turning on her or the others was driving him to make rash choices. At the end of the day, he just wanted this nightmare to end once and for all.

Rochelle wasn't breathing. She stood straight and strong. Finally, she spoke, "Imbecile… Un idiot tetu…" She whispered, rubbing her eyes and turning to hide away inside Slender's office, "Fais attention, mon cher…"

The tension in the air as soon as both doors slammed was enough to choke the remaining group. The room felt split. Some agreed with Slender, wanting to take action and get this nightmare under control so they could get rid of it. Others wanted to follow Rochelle's lead, taking the time to gather strength and facts before acting. But no one dared say a thing. They were left there in that uncomfortable, aching silence that seemed to cause more harm than good. Smile twitched a little in his unconscious state, seemingly half away of the worry. Jack snuffled, laying down next to him to curve around him for comfort and offer some of the same in return.

Finally, it was Ben who broke the silence with a low whistle, "Well… Demon capture, near-death experiences and now another lovers tiff. This is coming up to the second most eventful week of my after-life."

There was a collective sigh/groan from the group. Ben looked pretty happy with himself. Tension broken, achievement unlocked. Kate adjusted her hat tiredly, "Someone had better go check on them."

Hoody shrugged, moving his hands. It didn't need much translation. Wait a minute or two first, let them calm down.

"They'll be okay right?" Toby asked, "They fight worse than you two. Well… almost." He grinned cheekily, glancing at Jeff and Alice.

"Almost." Alice agreed, glad for an excuse for some humour.

Jeff however didn't appreciate it, "Piss off… Are you all missing the point here? Smile almost died for good! Slender lied to us! Jane is fucking insane and out to get us! Who's to say she isn't gonna kill him right now and come for the rest of us! Didn't you hear what he said? He can only bring back demons! That means if we don't get rid of her now then we're fucked!"

"Jeff, we all heard what Slender had to say," Shad intercepted firmly, "But we have to be rational about this."

"Yeah real easy being rational and shit for you isn't it? Oh I get it, get all close and buddy with the boss and who cares what happens to the rest of us?" Jeff snapped, jabbing a finger against Shad's shoulder, "We're disposable, you can be brought back!"

Shad turned his silvery gray eyes coldly at Jeff, using his shadows to back away out of reach, "No. I can't be brought back."

"Yes you can, you're fucking demon! Snap of his fingers and Slendy brings you back to do more of his dirty work!"

"I am not a full demon!" He yelled with surprising volume for him. He looked like he was going to throw a punch, and for someone who wished to be a pacifist, it took the group by surprise. He took a few deep breaths, unclenching his fists slowly, "I am not a full demon…"

Ben exchanged a look with the others, "What uh… does that mean exactly?"

Shad swallowed hard, like he didn't want to let the words out. Shame and reluctance covered his face, "It means that… that I wasn't spawned like demons usually are. I was… born."

There was an awkward silence in the air. Very few of them knew exactly how demons procreated and frankly they weren't sure they wanted to know. From the very simple basics they had gathered, two demons could create. That was pretty much it. They hadn't gathered more than that and didn't want to. Human biology was messed up enough. Jeff just stared at him, not knowing what this information meant, he just wanted someone to tell at.

Trixie looked at Shad worriedly, "So… you're half, what, human?"

Shad avoided eye contact, "Yes."

"Well why didn't ya say anything, Shadowman?" Kate shrugged, confused but it wasn't exactly a big deal to her, she'd seen stranger, "Y'all ashamed or something?"

"Yes," He muttered, "If your demon male parent-figure took pride in forcing human women into acts against their will, only to leave them with an unnatural spawn… I think you'd be very ashamed of your birth status too."

"Forced…?" Alice muttered, "An incubus?"

"That's one word for it… I would also go with scum."

Kate narrowed her eyes, "Well the only incubus kinda scumbag I know of is one of Slendy's brother-"

"The point being!" Shad snapped harshly, turning his attention back to Jeff icily, "That no, despite what you think of me wanting to get into Slender's good books for an easy ticket back to the living, I am only doing it for the good of others. I have no safety net and I have no security. I am one of you. So find someone else to blame if you please, it certainly won't be me." He paused pointedly, staring down everyone in turn before clearing his throat, "Does anyone else care to comment?"

No one did.

"Good. Kate, come with me and we'll try and talk some sense into Slender before he gets to Jane. The rest of you stay here. We don't need another casualty tonight."

Kate arched an eyebrow, "Get a load of you, military man."

He gave her a look and didn't stay to comment, turning and vanishing into his shadows so that Kate was forced to pick up the pace to keep up. In a way, Trixie was relieved that there ordered to stay. It gave them a much needed break. She knelt down besides Jack and Smile, feeling the starting of smile on her face for the first time since this ordeal had started. Jack, sleeping soundly and Smile alive. Yes Jane was still a danger even when seemingly locked up. Yes they were nowhere near safe. But just a tiny moment of peace, she was thankful for. I think deep down they all were.

She felt someone's hand on hers, she glanced up and saw Ben. He smiled at her, "So… Shad's in the family, literally."

"If Slender has three brothers… why don't they help us fight?" Trixie asked Ben quietly, not wanting to disrupt the peace. As well as avoid noticing the small blush on her face.

"In short… One spends most of his time hiding in shop windows and not interested in a fight. Another, as Shad pointed out, is too interested in getting into girls pants to fight, and the other is…" He paused, like he was trying to put a taste to an unknown concoction of food, "…too quirky to hold his own in a fight, according to Slender."

She wasn't sure she liked the sound of any of them. Especially the second one, "Do they ever come over?"

"Usually only the quirky one…" He muttered, as if recalling a tiresome memory, "He's… colourful."

"But, good, right?"

"Yeah sure, just annoying as hell."

"Just like this situation as per fucking usual," Jeff cut in grimly, "So we just wait?"

"Apparently," Masky sighed, slumping down onto the sofa and holding his head, "I'm not complaining."

"I freaking am." Jeff muttered.

Alice rolled her eyes, "We all know you are…"

 **A/N:**

 **Smile's okay! What you didn't think I'd let my little fuzzy-butt die did you? Give me some credit XD But what's coming next? What will Jane have to say? Will Slender and Rochelle be okay? Who knows? Find out soon!**


	16. Twisted Bargain

**A/N:**

 **So, bit of a dramatic chapter last time. Slender and Rochelle had a disagreement, Shad revealed something of his past, Smile is alive but weak, and Slender is on the rampage to talk to Jane again. But will it amount to much? Let's find out…**

Shad took a few moments to regain his composure. It took a lot out of him to admit what he did, about his heritage. It wasn't something he thought about often, he didn't really need to. He knew where his loyalties lay. There was no sense in dwelling on it. There was no point. He took a breath, clearing his head.

"Doing okay, Shadowman?" Kate asked, finally catching up to him.

He sighed, adjusting his cape hood around his head, "I'm fine. It's Slender we need to worry about."

"Yeah I know," She shrugged a shoulder, "Just making sure all that stuff in there didn't get y'all too shaken up."

"No…" He said quietly, "I just didn't want any false accusations to my reason for being here. I am a Proxy. I chose this. No matter who had a hand in my creation, demon or otherwise."

"Good call to make."

"Thank you."

"Does uh… Does that son of a bitch know? That you're his and Slendy's your… uncle I guess?"

"No. I don't want him to know. He's done enough damage to all of us, I won't have more poison here."

"Fair enough…" She tilted her head, curious, "So… This why you're so uppity about your girl? Y'all don't want to be like him?"

He was quiet for a while, thinking it over. Then, he sighed deeply, "Yes… I-I respect her… I don't ever want to hurt her."

"Hell, Shadowman, I know ya won't. Too soft for your own good, ya know that?"

"I'm sure you'll be there to remind me," He said with a small smile.

She chuckled, "You bet I will. That military man stunt back there ain't fooling me."

"I wasn't pulling a stunt, just stating urgency," He looked down the corridor, "We really should catch up to Slender. He's too weak for a confrontation."

"Yeah don't I know it… Alright, let's get going. Don't want another lecture from ya."

He rolled his eyes half heartedly, then started to follow her. He didn't know what the future held but he knew that this was not the way forward. Not by letting his leader get hurt like this. Also, it wasn't the way forward to be focussing on the past. It was time to move forward. He was his own person with his own mind. Right now he chose to help the people that mattered.

"Hey, Shadowman?" Kate added, looking over her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"That Emily's one lucky gal." She smirked, putting a hand on his head and ruffling hard so he could feel static in his hair under his hood.

He scowled, only giving her more entertainment. An event. That's the best way he could describe tonight. A misused event… But it just kept going.

* * *

Slender would admit that he was not thinking straight. He would also admit that he was so, so tired and drained that he just wanted to turn around and rest. However, he would not allow himself to. He understood that Rochelle was making some sort of sense but he just couldn't process it right now. He wanted this nightmare to be over. He wanted safety for her and for his Proxies and that couldn't happen if they just sat around and did nothing. In a way he found it almost ironic that out of all the times people had accused him of not taking enough action, they were adamant that the one time he wants to take action; they tell him to do nothing.

It didn't matter to him how weak or tired he was or even if he was going to die here and now. He needed this to be over for the safety of the others and no one was going to stand in his way. Perhaps he'd worked too much, stressed too much. But that didn't matter. He was almost at the door to quarantine. He needed the answers. It was near driving him mad!

"Sir! Wait, please reconsider this!"

"Slender it ain't right going in there right now!"

The voices rang clearly, which is why he ignored them. He had to hurry before they caught up. For their own safety. Moments like this when he felt a full force of determination, he almost forgot what it was like to be reasonable. He disarmed the door of its hexes, marched inside and shut the door behind him, returning the hexes before anyone could reach him.

He almost choked at the Sickness clogging the air. A chill hung around them that left first in the corners of the room. She'd gotten stronger. That much was obvious. She lay on the bed, arms folded behind her head and legs stretched out, feet swaying side to side as if to some tune onto inside her head.

 _How did you do it, Jane…?_

"Do what?" She sang, beaming, eyes opening slowly as if she'd been expecting him.

 _You killed one of my own… How did you do it…? Answer me…!_

"Me? But I've been locked up like a little naughty baba," She cooed, "How could I kill anyone?"

 _Do not test me, Jane…_

"But… didn't you test me?" She asked with a childlike curiosity, "Are you going to being my Daddy back yet?"

 _No…_

"Oh that's mean Slendy. You'll bring a mangy dog back to life but you won't bring a little girls Daddy back… So sad. So mean. Not good."

Slender paused, _How… How did you know that I'd brought Smile back…?_

She giggled, "You're so tired, Slendy. Come and sit with me," She pushed herself up to sit properly, making room for him, "We can talk."

 _Tell me how you got out…!_

There was a long pause. In which, she spread her lips into a wide, twisted grin that looked like a demonic turn on the Cheshire Cat, "Slendy? Whatever made you think that I got in?"

Before Slender could answer or even wonder what that truly meant. She hopped off of her bed. Her grin fixed in place like her life depended on it. Her arms extended, black eyes turning cold in concentration. The temperature dropped even more. The air grew denser. All of this happened in the space of two seconds. Then… she was gone.

Slender stared in horror. But he didn't break from his trance until he heard a scream in the distance. He rushed out of the room, almost bumping into Shad and Kate. They'd heard it too. They were already running back the way they came.

* * *

Trixie shivered. It was getting colder for some reason. But she ignored it for now. Getting a cold wasn't really priority at the moment. Then again she didn't really know what was priority anymore. Smile was alive. Slender was going to get answers, if albeit in an unreasonable fashion, from Jane and hopefully be a little closer to ending this. But what were the rest of them supposed to do now?

"Hey, you know if you keep that look up much longer and it'll stay that way."

She startled, almost forgetting that Ben was next to her for a moment, "Sorry. Lost in thought…"

"Don't blame you," He indicated down at Smile who was still asleep on the ground, "Hell of a half hour."

"You're telling me."

"Not all of it was bad though…" He smirked, nudging her lightly with a glint in his eyes.

She felt her cheeks warm in a surprisingly welcome change to the cold, "N-No. I guess not."

Jack stroked Smile's fur a little while longer before he managed to push himself up, letting Jeff take his place on watch. Not that Jeff asked or demanded the position but it had always been clear that Jeff and Smile acted as a pair in times like this. The young boy navigated his way towards Slender's office door. He could hear Rochelle inside. But there was something else. Not necessarily in the room or the office, it was just… around.

"Is it me or is it freaking freezing in here?" Alice snapped.

"No… That's me."

A shadow moved across the room. However unlike Shad's, it stained the ground as it moved, black oil and ash that emitted the smell of rot and festering remains. The air dropped again, closer and colder. Sickness. Everyone jumped to attention and backed away from the creature. The voice had been so chilling and inhuman that it couldn't possibly have belonged to anyone human or… living.

Before anyone could act, it had slithered across the room and coiled itself around Jack. The boy whimpered and tried to fight and writhe away but whatever it was held him tight. Right in front of their eyes, the shadow being started to take on a form. A tall, slim form, with ivory white skin and a tight black outfit. Glistening black eyes stared out at them gleefully, black lips curved into a grin that would have been attractive if it weren't for the jagged teeth hiding behind them. Waves of dark hair hung behind her, the parts that had been matted from blood and Sickness now were silky and clean. This once animalistic, frail looking thing… now seemed full of health and life. Jane.

Jack struggled fruitlessly, but the past few nights had been sleepless and stressful. The already weakened and fearful boy couldn't escape the grasp that held him. His senses were on high alert, the cold burn and the nasty laugh. It made him struggle harder. Panic stricken flashbacks echoed through his mind.

"Did you miss me, Jack…"

"No no no no! No!" He cried out, "Help! Not real not right no no!"

Jane cackled, "I missed you too."

The room sprang into action, in some form or another. Jeff's knife was aimed at the ready, about to lunge when Hoody and Masky grabbed his arms to hold him back. One wrong move and Jack would be hurt or worse! Ben clenched his fists and hovered an inch or so off the floor, knowing that if he had to move, flying was faster. Everyone stood in a way that would have been shock if so much madness hadn't happened already. Well granted they were still shocked, but more angry. Furious even. This thing had killed one of their own even if Smile was alive now. She had still tormented them and brought suffering over and over. Now here she was, threatening one of their own again.

"Let him go, Jane." Alice warned, getting her metal edged cards out for a quick attack if needs be. She'd taken to sharpening them more than usual lately, no guesses why.

Jane cackled, pressing her lips to Jack's icy blue cheek. Jack screamed in agony as the venom in her lips blistered his skin, leaving a scabbed and burnt looking patch, "Shh…" She whispered in his ear. Then continued to look around the room, "Hm, maybe I should have gone for the one that can't cry for help."

When her eyes landed on Hoody, he narrowed his eyes and gave a single, one-fingered hand gesture that needed no translation at all.

"How are you out?" Toby exclaimed, "Did someone leave a key on the door or something?"

Jane giggled, "Nope. But… Daddy didn't just give me some of your abilities. He gave me some of his just in case." Her eyes darkened, grip tightening on Jack's neck, "I can be anywhere… I can corrupt anything…"

"Then why not fucking get it over with!" Jeff yelled.

"Shut it, Jeff!" Alice spat.

"I… want… my… Daddy… back!" Jane said slowly and warningly, teeth baring, "That's why! Don't you get it? I was never caught! I got inside your heads! I made you see what I wanted you to see! All that time protecting yourselves against an illusion when all you had to do was open your eyes!" She was hysterical, breathing heavily and eyes manic, "I see everything… Ben and Trixie getting cosy. Alice and Jeffy sneaking off, Shaddys secret papa, Slendy and Rochelles little fight! I know everything! I can do anything! I can-"

 _Jane…!_ Slender yelled as he threw open the door, Shad and Kate not far behind him, _Stop this…!_

"Oh hello Slendy, come to have fun?" She grinned.

"Slender… What happened?" Trixie stammered, "H-How did she get out?"

"Oh let me tell them!" Jane giggled, "Please? Yes? Yay! Well, see I was never really there. Daddy taught me a few things… Gave me a few tricks… You can't catch me!"

"Illusion work. Corruption." Shad spat.

"Thank you," Jane smiled bashfully as if she'd just been praised, "I've been so busy lately."

 _You killed one of my own… You are fortunate that I could bring him back or else we would not be having this conversation…_

She cackled, "Oh Slendy… Luck has nothing to do with it."

"What you getting at, girly?" Kate demanded, her pistol aimed straight at her.

Jane stroked Jack's head softly, enjoying the fear she was causing, "I knew Smile would be alright. He's a demon. Slendy looks after him." Her eyes brightened, "Slendy was being so mean hiding his ability to bring back demons from you all… So I killed Smile, so that Slendy would be able to tell you the truth. And…" She grinned, teeth pointed, "Show me the truth too."

The silence hit them all like a punch to the gut. Jeff gritted his teeth, "You killed Smile to prove a fucking POINT?"

"Yup."

"What if Smile couldn't come back?" Toby asked desperately, "What if you didn't plan as well as you thought?"

"Then I'd try again till Slendy helped me. After all," She shrugged a shoulder, "It's just a dog… and he was delicious."

"You bitch!" Jeff lunged for her.

Although he didn't get the chance to make contact. There was the sound of wood splintering in the air, crashing against something solid. Jane recoiled forward as splinters and wood showered around her. She stumbled forward down to her knees, Jack fell with her, whimpering and scrambling to the side. A pale while hand grabbed jack by the back of his black hoody and yanked him up. Jack flailed in panic, thinking that Jane had got him again. But the touch was different. Softer, more protective. There was no chill of Sickness. Just warmth. He sobbed and clung to it. Hid his face in the warm fabric of their clothes and leant into the protective arm around him. There was safety here. Some.

Everyone stared in shock, even Jane looked up in rage at her attacker. There, standing over her, was Rochelle. She stood just past the doorway to Slender's office, one arm held tightly around Jack like a mother would protect their child. Her other arm was held high, the remains of a chair leg gripped tightly in her hand. She was shaking a little from the effort it had taken to smash the chair over Jane's head. The look she gave Jane, her scarlet eyes burning and blazing, warned her that another move and she would strike again. Her voice was thick with accent, rage flickering through.

"Touch one more of my petites, Jane, and I'll end you…"

Ben blinked, looking up at Slender, "I totally see why you like her."

 _Not now Ben…_ Slender hissed.

Jane grinned, "Hi Shelly… you're strong… Shame Daddy didn't give me that too."

"Let us help you, Jane, but you must stop this madness!" Rochelle pleaded, "We don't want to hurt you-"

"Speak for yourself…" Jeff muttered.

"-But if we have to, we will. Stop now, and let Slender help you. We can help you."

"Nice lady," Jane muttered, "Nice lady, wants to help… Always wants. Never does. Same everywhere you go… I want to help my Daddy… and I AM helping him!"

Jane's fist hit the ground with enough force that the room shook. Steams of black shadows and smoke erupted from beneath her fingers. They snaked out along the ground. Everyone took a step back, trying to avoid being caught up in the wisps. Only one was not fast enough. Trixie did her best to jump onto the arm of the sofa or at least press herself against the wall to get away. But smoke moves fast. It looped around her ankles. She shrieked in panic, trying to get away as it felt as through claws and needles were gripping her skin, dragging her towards Jane.

"B-Ben!" Trixie cried out, reaching for him desperately.

He lunged forward, grabbing her fingers. She tried to grip him, but the force was too strong and their hold wasn't strong enough. She slipped. He tried to swoop down and grab her again, but she was already in Jane's hold.

"Let her go or I swear-"

"One moment, Benny…" Jane grinned, "I'll give her back."

Trixie struggled, throwing her head back to collide harshly with Jane's. Her skull rattled. But she was not as strong as a hit with a chair. Jane didn't flinch this time. Instead, she wrenched Trixie's t-shirt sleeve upwards to reveal the black Slender brand on her shoulder. Her black eyes glistened, lips twitching into a twisted smile, "You know, Trixie… You were my favourite."

Before anyone could react, Jane launched her face down and dug her needle teeth into Trixie's flesh. The brand was hidden under Jane's mouth as she relished the mixture of metallic blood and acidic Sickness purging from under Trixie's skin. Jeff grimaced, the back of his neck tingling at the horrific memory at what was happening.

"She'd feeding on her!" Masky yelled.

Trixie was screaming. The agony that ripped through her didn't just stop at her pierced skin. It burned lower than that, past her muscles and coiling around her bones. It felt like she was being incinerated from the inside out. But it was so damn cold too. Tears poured down her face as she tried to escape. But it was like being held by an anaconda. The life being squeezed out of her. Hold and cold merging horrifically. She was aware that she was screaming, but what she was saying, she couldn't remember. She just wanted to be free of this!

Suddenly, the air became thick with yells and gunfire and the metallic slices of weaponry. The smoke continued, getting thicker and more Sickness infected. Grabbing at more of the others as they fought to escape. No one was safe. They were all getting dragged closer one at a time. The air was too thick with Sickness to fight properly. They were being drained. Slowly. Painfully. Jane was getting stronger.

 _Alright Jane…! You win…! Let them go and I'll make a bargain…!_

Jane and the rest of the room fell deadly still and silent, as if finally frozen over from the chill in the air. All eyes were on Slender, in horror or confusion at what he had just exclaimed across the room. Surely he wasn't serious? This had to be a distraction of some sort. It had to be!

There was a dark cackle emitting from Jane's throat. Her grip slackened and Trixie fell to the floor, shaking and gasping for air. Jane turned towards Slender, her eyes glinting with sudden life and excitement.

"There's a good noble leader…" She laughed, clasping her hands together, "I'm listening."

Slender, broken and torn, couldn't even look in the direction of those around him. The blood, the Sickness, the fear, it was all too much. He swallowed, speaking quietly and slowly. Like he was waiting for a way out of this that would never, ever come.

 _Leave them alone, Jane… Leave them alone and give them no harm and I-I… I will bring back Zalgo…_

"Cher! No, you can't!"

"Do you mean it?" Jane asked quietly, "Swear to me!"

"Don't do it!" Kate snapped, desperately trying to rush reloading her gun.

 _Do you swear you will not harm anyone under my care…!_

"If that's what it takes…" Jane grinned wryly.

 _I need an answer, Jane…!_

She grinned wickedly, "I don't harm my good, little friends… and I get my Daddy back. Oh Slendy, how could I say no to that?"

 **A/N:**

 **Slender, we know you want to save everyone but… Damn it Jane! So, a deal is made. But what will that mean for the others? Will Zalgo actually come back? Find out next time! XD**


	17. Ashes to Ashes

**A/N:**

 **So Slender just agreed to something he really didn't want to. But does he have a choice? Time to find out!**

For a moment, the room felt like it was stuck in freeze frame. The words that Slender and Jane had exchanged echoed in the dense air. The way his long fingers and her pale hand touched in a handshake to agree to their deal looked like a scene from a horror movie. How could this happen? How did this even happen? It had all happened so fast.

The scene was set. Ben held Trixie tight to him as black Sickness and blood tricked down her arm from her brand. Jeff had just yanked his knife out of the floor where he had attempted to stab the attacking shadows away. Alice was dragging Toby backwards across the floor to free him from the mists. Kate forced bullets back into her gun as Shad was summoning his own shadows for a counter attack. Masky stood watch to protect Smile's unconscious form from the darkness, Hoody doing likewise for Rochelle. She was not willing to be protected through, but rather protect Jack, lifting him into his arms and brandishing the remains of the chair she'd smashed over Jane's head. All of the chaos seemed to last about a split second, before this freeze frame moment took over. Now, despite the ferocious actions, all eyes were in horror at Jane and Slender.

She grinned wickedly, "I don't harm my good, little friends… and I get my Daddy back. Oh Slendy, how could I say no to that?"

The two shook hands. A simple act that can be easily ignored in terms of humans. But when a demon is involved, it is as good as a contract. Slender was weak, even he couldn't deny that now. The energy it had taken to revive Smile, along with trying to get through to Jane, and then be overrun with the Sickness she'd just let loose, it had taken a toll. Even his handshake was weaker than expected. Jane however, nearly crushed his fingers, staining both of their skin black where Sickness dripped away from her attack on Trixie.

Slender let her hand slip, trying to keep his voice calm and steady, _The deal has been made, Jane… Now stop this assault…_

"Assault?" She giggled, "Oh I'm not hurting them. I'm… oh what's the best say to put it? I'm just getting ready to travel."

 _Travel…? Jane we have our deal… You agreed to stop this…_

"I'm not hurting them." She repeated, this time more firmly.

Before anyone could act, or in this case change action, Jane had stepped back and lifted her arms out harshly so the smoke and Sickness practically exploded. It flooded the room like a wave of ink and mist. The air chilled as if icy water had been plunged down on them all. Then, as if it had been as thin as a sheet of paper, the ground broke beneath them.

* * *

Darkness. Cold. Rust. Sickness. The air was dense with it. Trixie stirred, twitching in pain where the brand on her arm had been sliced and mauled. She pushed herself into sitting position only to grunt in agony and lay back down again. The ground was cold like ice. The air just as bad. Her eyes blinked open. She was in a wide open space, the walls, sky and ground seemed to blend into one another in a putrid mixture of black mist and dark emptiness. It was almost impossible to tell one from another.

She turned her eyes from side to side. Bodies were scattered around her. No… not just bodies. Living bodies. Familiar. She could make out the other Proxies, Slender, but no Jane. She knew this place. But she really didn't want to. This had been Zalgo's world.

"If anyone's dead, say aye." Toby groaned.

"That has never been funny…" Ben huffed.

"Not this place again…" Trixie said groggily, struggling to sit up and rub the tears from her eyes, "Can't… can't do it…"

"Don't think any of us can much longer," Kate agreed, helping Ben get her to her feet, "Atta girl…"

"At least we're not separated this time. Or brainwashed." Masky shuddered. Hoody held his head and made a hand gesture to show his agreement.

"Petites?" Rochelle muttered tiredly, a black stain on her pale cheek, from injury or previous contact it was unclear. Jack lay curled against her, trembling and whimpering, "Cher? Are you all alright?"

"Not the word I would use…" Alice groaned, "Jeff, get the hell off of me."

"Yeah cuz I can control where I fucking land…" He growled, struggling to his feet and taking her arm to help her up too.

"Sir?" Shad shook Slender's shoulder, "Sir?"

"Cher? Wake up, cher, please."

For a horrible split second, Slender didn't respond. But just as the group started to hold their breath, he groaned in discomfort. His body shuddered as he started to slowly push himself up. There was a collective sigh of relief. Of course a demon couldn't die by something like this. But still, Slender was weak. Weaker now than before. The last thing they needed was him being consumed by Sickness. Then again, that was the last thing they needed for all of them.

"Oh merci…" Rochelle shuddered, hugging Jack to her with one arm and reaching to take Slender's with her other.

 _Is everyone alright…?_ He struggled to stay.

"We're moving if that counts," Ben answered, taking off his long Link hat to tie around Trixie's arm to stop the bleeding.

 _That counts… Jane… Where is Jane…?_

"Why even bother asking anymore?" Kate muttered, "She always shows up just when you're asking…"

Hoody did a series of stern hand gestures. Masky nodded in agreement, "Yeah, why we're here is a good question. And… how?"

"It seems Zalgo imprinted a few of his abilities into Jane as well as ours…" Shad explained ruefully, "Not just illusion work."

"How do we know all if this isn't an illusion?" Alice asked.

 _It's not…_ Slender answered, shaking a little as he stood up, _The Sickness here is too strong to be fake… Stay alert, all of you, and stay close…_

"It's not like we can go anywhere anyway." Jeff muttered.

"No. No you can not."

The voice echoed from what seemed like everywhere. The mist didn't even seem to disperse as a figure started to emerge before them. Slim and a mixture of the most glossy black and porcelain white. The voice came out in a sort of giggle, like an excited child. Jane…

"Called it," Kate hissed, pulling out her gun, "Not another step."

As expected, Jane continued walking towards them, "Don't waste your bullets, Katie-Kate. This won't take long."

 _This was not part of the agreement, Jane…_ Slender rasped, _Why did you bring us here…?_

"When my Daddy comes back, he'll want to be in his home sweet home," She explained innocently, "And… He'll be hungry."

"Hungry?" Toby asked, eyebrows shooting upwards over his goggles, "Us?"

 _Take them back home…! I will keep my part of the deal but you must keep yours…!_

She giggled, "Um… nope!"

 _Jane…! Set them free…! Set them free or I won't have anymore to do with you or Zalgo…! I'll find a way back myself if I have to…_

"Oh will you? Haha, I don't think so. Not really. You see, Slendy… You don't have a choice." She giggled, twirling her hair like a child telling a secret, "You can't leave."

 _I'll find a way out, Jane… You can't keep us here…_

"But I can. Now bring my Daddy back."

 _I refuse until you-_

"You made a DEAL!" She screamed suddenly, glaring at him acidically, "You bring him back if I left you ALONE!"

 _This is not leaving us alone, Jane…!_

"I will once you do what you promised. Do it now, because time's running out. You don't have a choice!"

 _What do you mean…?_

"Refuse, then you're stuck here. It won't take long for the Sickness to kill EVERYONE!" She yelled again, panting heavily, madness burning in her brain. She took a moment, seeming to calm a fraction, and then broke out into a sadistic grin, giggling lowly and darkly, "But if you agree… then I'll leave you alone, but my Daddy will kill you all instead…"

Everyone stared at her. Hit hard by the truth of her words. She'd tricked them. There was no escape. The Sickness was too thick here. There was no way out of this. It was true, if they stayed then they'd die or be destroyed by the atmosphere. But if Zalgo came back, nothing was stopping him hurting them. Jane only promised that she wouldn't… There was no way out. None.

"No choices, Slendy…" She giggled, "This is my home, I'm not going anywhere. Aren't loopholes a joy?"

 _Jane… Don't do this…_

" _Tick tock… Goes the clock_ ," She sang quietly in a nursery-rhyme melody, swaying on her feet as she grinned at Slender, " _Daddy will be returning… Slendy cannot save the day, he feels the Sickness burning…"_

 _Jane there has to be another way…! Let the others go and I'll do it…!_

" _Tick tock… Goes the clock_ ," She continued as if she hadn't heard him, " _Slendy's will is cracking… Doesn't matter what he picks, the body count is stacking…_ "

 _Let the others go…!_

" _Tick tock… Goes the clock. Your proxies lives are fading… Not long now until they break_ ,"

 _Alight…!_ Slender cried out, fists clenched. There was nothing he could do. They had to have this chance. There was no choice… They were trapped. He was trapped. He had to do this, _I'll… I'll do it…_

Jane grinned twistedly, teeth pointed and jagged. She giggled gleefully. As the last twist in the knife, she finished the last line of her mournful nursery-rhyme melody, " _Daddy we're done with waiting…"_

 **A/N:**

 **Creepy little sing song there, thank you Jane… So there's really no getting out of this one. If there's a way out of this, it's going to be tricky finding it. What happens next? Find out next time XD**


	18. Old Friend

**A/N:**

 **So last time we left the gang they were in one hell of a situation, and there wasn't any getting out of it. But… what'll happen now? Read on and find out! XD**

What choice did he have? When all was said and done, what choice did he truly have? Slender could feel every fibre in his being aching and burning with the effort of simply staying on his feet. He couldn't even being to comprehend a way out of here. A place that had once been so easy to jump to and from, no matter how reluctant the visits had been, was now a suffocating prison that held no obvious escape. Not while he was like this. His Proxies, his love, they were all slowly deteriorating into a state worse than his and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had made his deal with Jane. That was the only option he had to ensure the smallest chance of safety for them.

But then Jane had twisted things. Now they really were all doomed. There was no escape. They couldn't beat Jane, not here where Sickness was so thick in the air that it left little for anything safe. She was growing stronger as they in turn grew weaker. Now, she wanted him to bring back Zalgo there and then without so much as a chance to think. He did not have a choice. It was either allowing them to die slowly and painfully here and now at the hands of Jane, or give them a shred of hope that the end will be quick at the hands of someone else. Either way, he knew that death was coming for all of them. In the end, he wanted as little pain for them as possible. It wasn't something he wanted to do. But without the energy to leave or fight…

What choice did he have?

"Feed from the Sickness, Slendy," Jane muttered softly, "The ash that you turned my Daddy into... it lingers here. Reform it."

"Don't do it…" Kate hissed warningly. Despite what she might deny, her pale skin was turning gray from the Sickness, her own poison in her lips making her skin chapped and painful.

"Sir, please, we can work around this." Shad insisted, the weight of his shadows condensing heavily over him.

The sound of Jack whimpering and coughing violently echoed through the gloom. Rochelle hugged him protectively, but she was no way of shielding him from the surround threats, "Cher…"

 _I am not sure this will work Jane…_ Slender tried to reason with her, _I'm still weak from resurrecting Smile… Please, Jane, send us home and allow me to rest and then I will follow through on our deal…!_

"Oh I don't think so," She giggled, "No take backs. Do it."

 _I only ask-_

"STOP! Stop stalling!" She screamed, "I'll kill them, Slender! If you don't keep your side of the deal then I won't keep mine! Do it NOW!"

He didn't have a choice. Even Jeff couldn't struggle through the surrounding Sickness to yell. They were getting weaker. Any longer and the nightmare Sickness visions would start to capture them. Then that would degrade into a slow and painful death for them all. He couldn't put them through that. He just couldn't. He lowered his head in submission. If bringing back a being who could end their suffering faster was the only way to save them in some shape or form, then he'd have to do it. In all honesty and truth, he would rather them at peace in elimination than reliving their worst memories over and over until they eliminated themselves. It was a little mercy to give. But the only one he could.

Slender nodded. Jane grinned. The others struggled to keep their minds let alone retort. The ashes grazed over his skin. Zalgo's remains… The idea made his skin crawl. But he couldn't ignore it. He had to pay attention to every little detail he could if he was going to do this. But god knew he didn't want to. But for the mercy of the others, he had to. Slender extended his arms, trying to stop them shaking from fatigue. Weakly, his snake-like tendrils slipped from his back and outwards into the gloom around them.

The ash burned. It clung around him like miniature flames and shards of glass that were digging in further by the second. Unlike Smile, there was no body to hold onto to pass on his own Sickness. Instead he had to try and narrow down on feeling the remainder of Zalgo's form. Like a ghost, his presence lingered. It took a lot of energy. Some that he didn't even have.

* * *

The others watched on, unable to help to stop this madness. The Sickness was drawing them in. They felt themselves slipping between the world they were trapped in and the flashes of horrors past that were trying to reclaim them. They struggled as much as they could to stay in the moment. Slender needed them. They needed to keep their heads to try and help him!

The air grew heavy and burned as they inhaled. The Slender-brand that each of them held began to enflame in agony. Sickness swarmed around them as something in the air began to alter and twist. They tried their best to keep their sights on Slender as the darkness grew around him. The dust and ash appeared to be slithering in lines towards him, heat radiating from them. He was really doing it. He was bringing Zalgo back…

As the truth sunk in almost as cruelly as the pain, the ash started to take an unfortunate form for Slender to hold onto with his tendrils. It was like they were watching him bring back Smile again. Only this time, it was a lot more grim and painful to watch. This time, as Slender coiled his tendrils around the shape, there was a horrific smell of burning flesh and rot. Flames burned through the miniscule gaps between limbs. Most prominent though, were the cries of pain and effort coming from Slender himself. All together, it was unbearable to witness.

"Sir don't do this!" Masky yelled over the cacophony of chaos before them.

"Shut it…" Jane hissed, lashing her hand out to slap him across the face, a chunk of his mask cracking as he hit the ground, revealing a stubbled chin. Not that she cared; her eyes were devotedly fixed on Slender.

They watched in horror as the form Slender was gripping into started growing unnaturally. It grew and deformed and burned into something that Slender struggled to keep hold of. The ash in the air had thinned. But the burning chill of the ground and the scorching heat of the air remained. It was terrifying to watch, and horrific to feel. More so that they knew what it meant. Zalgo was coming back, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Before they had a chance to even process that information. It had happened.

No one could tell when exactly it happened. But before they knew it, they all found themselves blasted backwards into the cold. The force rattled their skulls and made their bones ache. For a moment, their Sickness got the better of them. Ben coughed up a little water, Trixie saw a hospital strap flicker on her wrist, Jeff saw his brother, Alice felt an unnatural fear, Kate saw a lakeside, Rochelle saw the hotel. It all hit them one by one and only lasted for a second. A moment later they were back in the hellish surroundings. But this time, instead of watching Slender suffer and struggle with an unholy creature forming, they were now looking at just that. An unholy creature.

It was hunched over on its hands and knees. Instead of skin, there was just charred ash and burned flesh. Cracks appeared here and there along its arms, legs and torso, wide and holding erratic flames as if they were eyes darting around in search of prey. Black nails, curved and sharp like talons dug brutally into the floor, shaking and creaking with strength. Shadows seemed to pool around it, liquid shadows of Sickness and rot. Its face was a mixture of smouldering flesh and jagged teeth and fangs. It growled savagely, shuddering as it breathed in the Sickness around it, summoning life into itself. Slender collapsed to the ground, tendrils slipping away. It was done. After all the fear and attempt at bargaining… It was done.

"D… Daddy?" Jane whispered, stepping closer to the being. She tried to put her hand on its shoulder, but recoiled as it burned her. The others were stunned. It actually hurt her. Jane however, grinned, "I did it, Daddy… You're home."

Zalgo inhaled deeply, slowly and gradually standing up, shedding leftover dust fragments as he drew to his full height. He towered over Slender, both as Slender lay on the ground and if he had been standing too. He looked around, slowly taking in every single individual that he saw and as he did, his grin grew wider, more smug, crueller. Soon, he started laughing. Loud, raspy and low. Like distorted thunder.

"Oh my Jane… You have done well."

"You were right, Daddy," Jane said, black tears falling from her eyes from happiness, "About everything. They… They did everything I wanted! Just like you said!"

"Good work, Jane. Now…" He looked around, grim enjoyment on his face, "Let me greet my old friends."

"Greet this!" Jeff yelled, knife raised and running full force at Zalgo.

He did not get far. As soon as the tip of his blade came into any close proximity to Zalgo, Jeff was thrown backwards against one of the walls, his head hitting hard with a sickening thud. He slumped to the ground. Kate was next to act, aiming her pistol and shooting without hesitation. The bullet flew through the air, aimed right for Zalgo's head. It would have hit. It should have. But instead, it hit that same barrier that had gotten Jeff. The bullet exploded into particles, not even making a sound as it did. Hoody was next to try, hoping to rely on pure strength to battle through. Moments later he was forced backwards too. Shad tried another method, using his shadows to lash out, but rather than slithering along the ground, they were absorbed into the pool of Sickness at Zalgo's feet.

One by one they fell. Either too hurt and scared to try in the first place or jolted away by the invisible mess surrounding Zalgo. There was a dense aura of Sickness around him like a shield. Anyone who dared try get too close felt its affects instantly. The burning cold air that rushed to smouldering heat, tight chest and agonizing burns to their Proxy brands. It weakened them. Made their minds go empty and clouded. No one could get close. It was too much for them to handle. He was too strong.

"How is this happening?" Toby asked, on his knees with a broken hatchet in his hands. He couldn't feel pain, he never could. But he new fatigue, "He just woke up!"

"He's fully restored," Shad explained hoarsely, "We… We can't do this."

"Never say never, shadowman," Kate warned, reloading.

Trixie clutched her arm, it was still bleeding, the Sickness now allowing her to heal, "Slender!" She called out to the motionless body, "Please, help!"

Zalgo laughed, looking at Jane as if there shared mockery towards them, "I have to say I've missed this. How pathetic they all are. How… disposable."

 _They are not disposable…_

Zalgo turned his head, looking down at the crumbled being that was Slenderman. Slender twitched, trying to support his own weight, pushing himself up only to collapse a second later. He was too weak. No rest and two resurrections it… took its toll on him. His vision was blurred, but the noises of his Proxies suffering, he couldn't take it. His limbs failed. The Sickness around him was suffocating. But he would not give up. Not until he was dead.

 _They are not disposable…_ He rasped, looking up at Zalgo with an air of desperate determination, _You cannot take them from me…_

"But I can. In fact I'm going to. Come now, old friend, you know this." Zalgo returned calmly as if commenting on an unfortunate weather change.

 _I ended you once, Zalgo, I'll do it again…_

He chuckled darkly, "It's almost tempting to ask you to try. Go on, amuse me."

 _Why plan all of this, Zalgo…? Revenge cannot mean this much to you…! Feeding on souls cannot mean this much to you…!_

Zalgo tutted, "Oh dear friend, do calm yourself… I'd like you to remain alive just long enough for me to finish watching your toys play, then I'll kill you."

 _Zalgo… Just tell me… What do you want…? What is the point of this…!_

Slender fell to the ground again, groaning in pain and effort to keep moving. It was too much. He couldn't go on like this and he knew it. He'd failed… His Proxies were dying. His love was trapped once more. The Proxies that were already spirits were fading. Now he was to die here too. He'd failed. He'd failed them all.

Zalgo smirked, crouching down so he could patronize him further. It was barely worth watching the others, they were no threat, "You see, Slender, old friend… It's not just about me getting more souls to feast on. Oh and it's not about revenge anymore. I'll get that today. You see, death put things into perspective for me… Allowed me to see the bigger picture if you will."

 _What… What are you talking about…?_ Slender gasped, the Sickness coating his mind in ash.

"I'm not interested in a larger share of food like before, old friend. Neither am I interested in how your life ends since that'll be taken care of shortly. No… My interests lie out there. In the human world."

 _Zalgo… No…_

"Slender. Yes." Zalgo chuckled darkly, "What a better way to truly win this Sickness war than to not only have my old friend and his followers eliminated, but also to infect the very world he stood for with my own Sickness?"

 _Zalgo you can't do that… It'd be chaos…! Millions would die, no soul would be at peace, all life out there would burn…! It would be-_

"A literal hell on earth? Oh… I can't imagine a better place."

 _You've no idea the balance that would upset… Zalgo listen to me…!_

"But you know what will be the one disappointment to this plan?" Zalgo asked mournfully, raising a hand and reaching out to grab Slender around the neck, digging his talons in harshly so that black ooze trickled over their skin. Zalgo laughed, deep and menacingly. "That my old friend won't be there to see it…"

 **A/N:**

 **This really looks like it's going to be the end for Slender and the gang. But will it really be it? Find out in the next chapter!**


	19. Home Truths

**A/N:**

 **Sorry for the wait! I've actually managed to get myself a job! I know right, it's insane! Lol, so yes, here is the latest chapter and I promise I'll do my best to keep uploads coming. Oky, no more delays, here we go!**

Jane watched on, mouth stretched unnaturally across her face in a sadistic grin. She felt so proud of herself. So proud of her Daddy. She'd followed his orders to the mark and he had been right about everything. He'd taught her so well. Now here he was. Back at last. All thanks to his amazing plan and her amazing work. She was just so damn happy. Sure, he wasn't back to his full strength yet. But he was so much stronger than she first assumed he would be. But that just showed her for being doubtful. Her Daddy was the best. Her Daddy always won. Her Daddy was so proud of her. He had to be, right? Of course. Why wouldn't he be?

She watched him as he mocked Slender. She couldn't help but giggle. Just to think, all the while this was happening, she was staying true to both of her deals. She had brought her Daddy back, and she was not harming any of her little friends. Promises kept. She was happy. What made her happier was how her Daddy showed no mercy. Just as things should be. She watched him standing over Slender, then as he lashed out and grabbed Slender by the throat. The smell of Slenders Sickness running down his neck hung in the air, merging with the already existing wisps. She breathed it in. It was delicious… She couldn't wait to feel what the rest of them tasted like.

Zalgo dug his talons in deeper, enjoying the feel of Slenders skin puncturing, the Sickness escaping into the air. He'd waited long for this. Although, being dead and lost after Slender's last visit, it didn't feel all that long really. But long enough when he thought about all those years he and Slender really were at war. Yes, he'd waited long enough. Now the time was finally here. He would kill Slender. He would feed from his Proxies until there was nothing left. Then, finally, he would move his Sickness to the surface. For a moment he wondered if it would be better to drain the Proxies first, move to the surface to infect and then end with Slender's death. Just to make his old friend suffer further. But then he put that thought aside. After all, he'd underestimated Slender in the past. It was best to be rid of him sooner rather than later.

Slender didn't have the energy to escape. The energy he did have was slowly draining away. He understood how Zalgo worked. He would drag this out as long as he could. After all, Slender had taken away Zalgo's freedom and at one point, life. Why wouldn't Zalgo want to make him suffer as long as possible. What was worse, was that Slender was feeling nothing but guilt. He hadn't had a choice in any of this. The choices he did have, were not really choices to start with. He couldn't even see his Proxies, Rochelle, any of them. There was only the swirls of ash and Sickness slowly clogging his mind. He'd be truly dead soon. Only able to return if Zalgo wished it. But that would never happen. His last dying wish was that his Proxies and Rochelle, if they can't escape, then let their endings be quick.

The pain suddenly increased further. Starting at his neck and then ripping through his body as it crashed against the floor hard and cold. Then, just like that, it was over. He lay there, motionless and in pain. But… not dead. No, he wouldn't be feeling pain if he were dead. Then what was this change? Surely Zalgo had not given up. Slender gasped for air, breathing in rasps of Sickness and dust. His blood still dripped from his wounds. But slow. His demon qualities were allowing him some small chance at survival at least. But… why was this chance given?

He pushed himself over groggily, trying to get a look at what had happened. Instead of seeing Zalgo preparing to finish him off. He saw white. Something moved him. His head rested on something soft. Shaky and unstable, but soft. With as much effort as he could manage, he forced his vision back into some kind of stability. Everything was blurry. But he could see. Just.

Slender saw that it wasn't an 'it' he was resting on. But a who. He looked up and saw the vibrant white skin of Rochelle. She was holding him close to her. But she was not looking at him. Instead she was gazing harshly up at Zalgo who… was missing his hand. Zalgo looked down at his missing arm, looking wryly as the ash and dust from the air congealed together. His wrist started to reform, his talon-like nails sprouted from it. Within seconds, his hand had fully regenerated.

"How…?" Zalgo muttered to himself. But his answer was soon given to him. For as he looked at Rochelle, he noticed that although one of her arms was wrapped tightly around Slender, the other was held out firmly, a gleaming scalpel in her hand. A scalpel that all recognised as the one belonging to Jack.

"I won't let you kill him…" Rochelle spat, her hand steady, "I won't let you kill any of us."

Rather than being angry or spiteful, Zalgo looked amused. He flexed his fingers, looking down at Rochelle, "Saved by a dead woman… Slender has either taught you well, or my old friend was far weaker than I gave credit for."

A ripple of fury passed along the others. But they couldn't act upon it. The Sickness was too strong, they couldn't move more than a few inches at a time. Crawling their way towards the confrontation.

Rochelle however, didn't flinch. The only thing that gave her fury away was the thickness of her accent coming through, "He is stronger than you can imagine. We all are."

"Yet the Sickness claims you." Zalgo pointed out. It was clear that he wished nothing more than to just kill her and get on with this. But he didn't. Simply because he felt it had been far too long since he'd had some entertainment.

"No. It slows us. But will not claim us." As if to prove her point, she gripped Jack's scalpel tighter in her hand. Ready for another attack if needs be.

"And prey tell, Rochelle, how do you avoid the Sickness so?"

"I don't…" She exhaled, red eyes managing to be cold and hard, "But I have lived my Sickness prison for longer than I'll admit to you. I don't fear it anymore… I will not go back there, and neither will they!"

Zalgo sneered, teeth showing wickedly, "Is that the message of hope you send? Face your fear? Conquer the Sickness? Escape with the strength to fight another day…?"

She glared at him, her white dress stained with the black liquid that was slowly slipping from the wounds in Slender's neck. She put her hand over them, suppressing the leakage for the small amount of time she could, "No. No, Zalgo, I give no message of hope. I am simply telling you the truth."

"And what truth is that?" He laughed darkly.

Her cold stare faltered, melting for a moment into something that looked almost smug. But she wouldn't allow herself to be that, not yet. Instead she was simply patient, "That you are a terrible father."

Jane seemed to snap out of her daze at that. She stepped forward at inhuman speed to stand in front of Rochelle, glaring downwards with a rage that would send anyone quaking in fear. But Rochelle had seen too much for that.

"How dare you!" Jane screamed, "No one talks to him like that! He's my Daddy! He's cared for me! He will destroy you! He will-"

"Oh, Jane?"

Zalgo's voice changed in a way that made everyone do a double take. Rather than dark and cruel, or even slow and patronizing, his voice was actually patient and inviting. It made the group shiver in disgust. The sound of Jack whimpering against Kate's shoulder echoed a moment. However it seemed to have an opposite effect on Jane. She relaxed instantly, the hate in her eyes expired. She turned on her heel and skipped over to Zalgo, looking up at him with a look of innocent glee. She looked happily at him, grinning.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Jane? Dear, hard working little Jane…"

Jane smiled, nodding eagerly and asking again, "Yes, Daddy?"

Zalgo looked down at her, the flames behind his eyes hushing for a moment as if about to offer some praise or kind words. Only… it lasted about a split second before the burned dark once more. He lashed his hand out, catching her neck and squeezing tightly.

"Shut up…"

She blinked, hands hanging limply at her sides. She wouldn't attack or fight him. This was her Daddy. He'd done this before but because she'd been bad. Had she been bad? She gasped for air, "D-Daddy? D-Did I do s-something wrong?"

"No," He answered simply, a sickened grin pulling at his ashen, burning face twistedly, "You've been such a good girl. You brought me back and you brought everyone here to see me. You've done so well."

"Th-Then… I-I don't… D-Daddy?"

"I am not your father." He said bluntly, his grip tightening so she couldn't even stammer. The cruel ice to his tone was slowly returning, now he sounded as malicious as he did the first time they'd met him, "I made you, and now… Well now you are of no further used to me."

"Shit…" Jeff muttered as he dragged himself away from Sickness vision.

Jane felt her eyes begin to water. What did he mean? This was a joke, it had to be! Why was he being like this? Why was he telling her the same lies that Slender was telling? It wasn't right! It wasn't fair! She shook her head as much as she could, starting to struggle. But there was no escape. She just stared at the creature who had given her so much. Why was he lying to her?

"Oh, did I break your mind?" Zalgo taunted, "Again."

"W-We tried to tell you…" Shad rasped, looking at Jane in a way that showed he wished to help, if the shadows had not turned against him.

"How does it feel, Jane?" Zalgo asked, burning her skin with the flames that lay beneath his, "How does it feel knowing that all this time, you were the same as them? A disposable… pathetic… Proxy."

Jane sobbed, her nails clawing at his hand in an attempt to be free. What was going on? Where was she? Who was he? Who was she? Nothing made sense anymore. Her head was burning like it was going to implode on itself. Why was he saying this? Why did she care? Why was she so scared? Who were these people? Where was she?

"Let me explain something to you, Jane," Zalgo hissed coldly, "You asked for this… I gave you this… And now… Well, now I don't need you anymore. But since you've been so useful to me, I'll let you have a few moments alone with your old memories. You know what? I'll even devour you last as a special reward."

Jane screamed. She caught sight of her reflection in Zalgo's burning eyes. She did not recognise the terrified girl she saw. Memories and agony came flooding back to her. All of this, it was a lie! It couldn't be real. Voices. Images. Colours. It all rushed through her head in a blur that made her want to be sick. Memories she knew were hers but… then all this horror came with it. It didn't make sense! It was… It was agony!

"Be strong, petite," Rochelle begged, feeling sorrow for the girl who was not meant for this life.

"Tell me, Jane," Zalgo sneered, "Do you remember who you were?"

Jane gasped as his grip lessened enough to let her speak, "Y-Yes…"

"Good. Now, do you remember all those you hurt? Killed? Tricked?"

Tears fell from Jane's eyes, shimmering down her cheeks. But instead of the usual black ooze they were used to seeing. They were clear. They were… human, "Yes…"

"Excellent."

Before anyone could do anything else to help or at least intervene, Zalgo turned around with immense speed and thrust Jane out to slam her against a wall. Her head cracked hard against the structure with a sickening crunch. Zalgo opened his hand, letting her limp body slip through his fingers. She crumbled to the floor, breathing, but faintly. As promised, Zalgo would save her for last, letting her suffer inside her own mind first. Everyone stared in horror. If he would do that to one of his own, then what the hell was he going to do to all of them.

Zalgo sighed in disappointment, "You three, go and put her aside until I'm ready for her."

Hoody, Masky and Jack flinched when Zalgo turned to stare at them. He muttered their true, full names under his breath and gave the order again. But they did not listen. Times had changed. They had given their names willingly to Slender. That had more power in it alone than anyone taking their names by force.

Hoody moved his hands slowly and clearly. The message needed no translation. It send rage rippling over Zalgo. Plain and simply. We don't take orders from you.

"Oh old friend," Zalgo mocked, looking at Slender's slowly twitching body, "You forgot one."

Jack was trembling as Zalgo advanced on him. "Tell me, boy, why don't you listen? Come when you're called!"

"Y-You don't own my n-name," Jack stammered, trying to hide his face, "N-NO more pain, p-please!"

"I called you… You will obey me."

"No!" He sobbed.

"I can sense you have not given your name to Slender… Answer to me!"

"He won't."

Zalgo turned around, looking towards the new voice in the conversation. He found himself looking down at a Proxy. One he vaguely remembered. Then again he barely took the effort to remember most of them personally. They were all so insignificant after all. Insignificant and disposable. This one was no different. She was small, blonde and shaking like the very dust that hung in the air around her. She was barely on her feet. Looking ready to collapse at any moment.

"Trix, get back here." Ben whispered, reaching for her hand.

Trixie stumbled forward, clutching her wounded arm, tears pouring down her face. She kept jumping from horrific hospital vision to the present time. It was getting hard to know what was real anymore. But she couldn't just sit there and let it happen. If Rochelle and Jack could speak against him, so could she.

"H-He won't obey you." She rasped, aware of how weak she was. But if she was going to die, at least it would be for something worth while.

Zalgo regarded her smugly, "Oh yes… He gave you his name, did he not?"

"H-He did." She said firmly, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable. But that didn't stop her.

"Then by all means. Use it." He laughed cruelly, "Come down to my level, use his name, use his Sickness against him. If you think it'll save him."

"Just leave him alone," She whispered, staring up at him. She refused to be like him. She wouldn't use Jack like that. She promised him. She wouldn't break that now. But she felt it was her place to stand up for him. Especially now.

Zalgo laughed, "Oh you pathetic thing… Slender has been filling your head with this idea that you'll be helping him by not using his name against him. But how wrong you are… Use his name. Control him. The Sickness will heal you."

"I-I don't care. I'm not doing it."

"Then why say anything at all?" He asked.

"Because… I-I won't have you hurting him again."

Zalgo sneered, jagged teeth showing. He saw her as a game. An amusing little thing to pass the time before he went back to Slender. In all honesty, he hadn't expected his return to be so damn fun! "You're all going to die here, expire here, you are aware of that?"

She shivered, refusing to answer.

"Maybe a change of plan is in order," Zalgo contemplated, "Perhaps… letting Slender see his Proxies expire first would be much more fitting."

 _No… Zalgo, leave them be…_

"Oh he speaks!" Zalgo laughed at Slender's feeble attempt at talking, turning his attention back to Trixie, teeth showing as he steadily leaned in closer, "He speaks, but he goes ignored…"

 **A/N:**

 **I'm sorry these chapters seem a little short. But I promise next chapter shall have a little more action to it. But still… Jane is down for the count. Think this'll change much? Wait and see. And also… Happy Halloween! XD**


	20. Making a Stand

**A/N:**

 **I hope you guys had a great Halloween! I definitely did XD But now it's back to the humdrum of real life and trying to get things done. Including another chapter! XD I hope you enjoy!**

Trixie felt a tiny glimmer of regret as Zalgo towered over her. If she'd stayed quiet, she could just let the Sickness invade her mind. She could have let the insanity corrupt her so that when she finally did die it would be in an illusion rather than his horrific and monstrous reality that she once again found herself in. But the rest of her, the majority of her, knew she'd done the right thing. Granted she was aware she'd be killed for this. But she couldn't let her last moments be left in cowardice. In her mind, being killed standing up for a friend was far better than dying in defeat. That didn't mean she wasn't scared out of her mind though.

Her arm ached, her head pounded and she couldn't stop shaking as the hot tears fell silently down her face. She was going to die, she knew it and she feared it. This wouldn't be like Ben where her ghost would return. She was going to be eradicated from existence. They all were. The thought made her shake and want to break down. But she couldn't move. She didn't dare. That little part of her was pushing her to stand tall. To take things as they came. To at least do one thing for someone else before she died.

Zalgo turned away from Slender, diverting his attention back to Trixie and the other Proxies. His charred lips pulled back to reveal sharp, jagged fangs that filled every bit of space in his mouth, acting as a cage around a flamed tongue. This monster had cast Jane aside like a broken doll after she'd done so much for him. What hope did the rest of them have for mercy or escape? Trixie closed her eyes. Waiting…

"Fearful blood…" Zalgo mocked, "It's so much sweeter than just plain darkness. Be proud, Proxy, being the first means you won't get to see your friends perish. Tell me, how does it feel?"

She shook her head, unable to answer. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction at least. The Sickness clouded her mind the closer he drew to her.

"I see Jane has already attempted to feed on you. Don't fret, this will be much more painful. After all… your kind is just food to be savoured, despite what foolish notions Slender has told you…"

Trixie whimpered, but didn't move. It was an internal battle between running aimlessly and just standing there to get it over with. Of course she was scared, she was terrified. But at the end of the day, wasn't it better to stand up to at least one fear before death rather than being hunted like a coward? She closed her eyes, wondering if it would be better to welcome the Sickness just to numb the pain a little. But she couldn't let herself give up that much.

The others didn't know where to look. The fact that Zalgo was distracted gave them a little more awareness of what was going on around them. But then that meant they were fully able to witness not only their friend being devoured, but also get a look into their own future deaths. They didn't want to watch. But they couldn't look away. Of all people, why was she the first to go? Some wanted to step in more than others, granted, but no one wanted the killing to start. Once it did, it wouldn't stop. They had to so something but they just couldn't. The Sickness around them, although lesser now, was still weakening them. And as much as they didn't want to admit it, they were scared.

"Over my literal dead body…"

Trixie snapped her eyes open. But instead of seeing Zalgo's burning, ashen figure looming towards her, she saw someone else. He wore a green shirt, with pale blond hair. He had his back to her, shielding her. She almost fell to the ground in relief, if she wasn't reminded by the fact that this wasn't over. But that didn't stop her staring in shock.

"Ben? Ben what are you doing?"

"Just copying you," He muttered back, "Winging it."

She stared at him like he was insane. Then again he probably was. Why was he doing this? She didn't want to see him die. Of course he was already dead, but that wasn't the point. She didn't want to see him get drained and vanish from existence. Maybe she really was being a coward by going first. She didn't know anymore, nothing made sense anymore!

Zalgo however, looked on in amusement. To him, all of this was just a pre-feast show. Of course his plan had been to, originally, get Slender out of the picture and then work his way through the others. But then Rochelle had to get all protective and noble… So he figured why not let her have one last moment where she felt like she'd done something right? It would make things so much sweeter when he ripped it all away again. Then Jane had to get so… pathetic. Now the Proxies were acting up again. For some it would be repetitive to have to put them all back in their place. But for him, after so long of waiting, it was fun. Why not drag things out a little more. He would need the practice for when he took his business to the surface world.

He sneered down at Ben, chuckling darkly, "Protecting a Proxy who's protecting a Proxy protecting their master… I see an unfortunate theme."

"I see us getting out of here." Ben returned, voice thick where it was coated in ash.

"How… pitifully optimistic. How?"

"Hell if I know."

Zalgo laughed again, "Oh… that's just pathetic."

"So is dragging this out just for fun. Look I'm all for mind games but this… it's getting boring."

"Shut the fuck up, bud…" Jeff hissed warningly.

Zalgo regarded him, a smile pulling at his lips, "I agree."

"So why don't you just get on with it?"

Alice glared at him, starting to struggle to her feet, "What are you doing?"

"Ben, stop." Trixie pleaded.

Zalgo loomed over him, baring down on him with his flamed eyes and colossal stature. His voice lowered, hinted with malicious curiosity, "Do you not feel fear? You're all as good as extinct."

"Honestly, I do, but here's the catch," Ben's eyes sparked, "If we're all already dead, what the hell have we got to lose in trying to kick your ass a couple more times?"

He laughed, "It doesn't look like you have much energy for that…"

"I don't know. Fear gives a hell of a lot of adrenaline. And you're giving it to us by the bucket load."

"You think fear will save you?" He mocked.

"You feed off of people hiding from fear," Trixie said suddenly, moving around Ben to stand at his side, "We're… not… hiding…"

 _BANG!_

A chunk of ash exploded from Zalgo's shoulder, a lick of flame lashing out with it before recoiling back under the skin again. A wisp of smoke wafted through the air, leading all the way back to the barrel of a gun. Kate's gun. She was shaking. But at least she was standing. She had Jack hiding behind her and was aiming her gun at Zalgo for another shot. Her eyes golden and bright. It was unclear what Sickness dream she'd just escaped from, but she looked ready to murder whoever had just sent her back there.

Which in this case seemed to be Zalgo. However, instead of reeling or yelling in agony like her usual victims, he didn't say a damn thing. He just casually turned his head to look at his deformed shoulder. He had a similar reaction to when Rochelle had used Jack's scalpel to cut off his arm. He didn't seem phased at all. He actually looked a little smug about it, almost daring someone to try again. After a few moments, the ash in the air started to reform and congeal around the wound again. In a matter of seconds, his shoulder had completely healed as if nothing had happened. Just like this hand had been. It didn't surprise the others at this point. But it was hardly a comfort to see. Ben took a big step back, taking Trixie with him.

"Did you think that would help you in some way?"

"No," Kate said firmly, "But it sure felt good."

"That got to at least hurt a little, right?" Toby asked, a little hope in his voice.

But naturally, Zalgo didn't answer that. Instead, he just started laughing. That didn't matter though. He was distracted, that was something. The more distracted he was, the less Sickness was clogging their minds. One by one, the group started to regain a little more awareness of their surroundings. That didn't mean they were jumping up ready to run. But they were at least in the mindset to start thinking of a next move. A skill which was far more valuable than they could appreciate right now.

"It does hurt him…" Masky whispered hoarsely, "Just not much in small doses."

"I don't understand, why can we hurt him now? We couldn't before!" Alice groaned over the madness around her.

"Fuck knows, don't jinx it!" Jeff snapped.

"Zalgo is a demon of corruption and fear… By accepting our fear…" Shad muttered.

"We're not hurt by Sickness as much now. By fear," Trixie finished, blinking in realization. Had she actually started this? By standing up for Jack despite being terrified, she'd given them a way in? She didn't like to think so highly of herself like that so she put the thought aside for now. But what if…

"You're saying accepting fear stops his food supply? Gross," Toby muttered.

"Anytime ya want to join in?" Kate snapped, getting ready to take another shot.

"Small doses…" Ben muttered, repeating Masky's words. Thinking them over, "So… we make it a big dose."

"All at once?" Trixie asked, looking panicked. She couldn't fight! She didn't know how!

Hoody nodded in confirmation, then indicated towards Zalgo to warn then that he'd stopped laughing. They had to act soon before it was too late. They had distracted him, albeit accidentally, long enough for his Sickness to subside. They were by no means fit and fully conscious for a fight, but they were at least aware of their surroundings which would have to be enough. The sad thing was, was that they knew it wasn't going to be enough. But they had to try. Just the idea that they did something before they were exterminated was enough to get them to move. They would not go down without a fight.

Kate fired her pistol, the bullet slicing through the ashen clogged air and colliding with Zalgo's left temple. He didn't recoil or flinch as part of his head exploded, black charred mass trailing off into the dark, flames under his skin leaking out to try and heal himself. Instead he let out a low, warning growl, a flicker of rage crawling down his body. He was angry. Which meant Hoody and Masky had been right. They were doing some damage to him. They didn't wait to see just how much or, as the case may be, little they were doing. They couldn't risk it. Kate shot him again, and again. More little holes appearing in his burning form.

The sound of metal cutting through the air accompanied the exploding bullets as Alice threw her blade-edged cards outwards like ninja-stars. That was the good thing about weaponized cards, she had 52 chances to hit her target. And it was very rare that she missed a target. The cards sliced at him, embedding into his chest. His Sickness absorbed them, dissolved them, but they did leave open wounds. Wounds that Jeff took advantage of. He wasn't afraid of close range attacks. Jeff leapt forward, driving his knife into one of the wounds Alice's cards had left behind, pulling as hard as he could to make them more painful and gaping so more skin peeled away and flames escaped. He stabbed, again and again. It didn't feel right not having blood spattering around him, and the open flames being so close to him made his hands shake. Little Sickness flashes coming back to him. But he forced them away with his violence.

Toby, Masky and Hoody acted at the same time. By nature Hoody was a Passive Proxy and was not used to attack. But he was willing to try. Toby donned the same tactic as Jeff, attacking the wounds that were already available. He hacked away at them, the flames burning his own skin through his gloves but he didn't feel it. He was glad. It meant he could do a better job. Masky was a holder of most weapons usually. But his supply was limited. So instead he used one of Toby's hatchets since he always carried two. Hoody may not have had a weapon, but he knew how to get one. He scrambled up to one of Zalgo's hands that were near his size. He looped an arm around one of the black talons and added pressure, twisting his body until he heard an ear splitting crack. Now he held a jagged, broken talon in his hands. He had his weapon. He used it well.

Unable to just stand there and do nothing, and feeling that he had somehow helped in triggering this, Ben clenched his fists ready. He took a last look at Trixie, putting on a confident smirk for her sake, then took to the air without another word. He had a flight advantage to get higher and hit where the others couldn't reach. He felt his static charging under his skin and channelled them through his hands, blasting out bolts of electric when and where he could while trying to avoid hitting his friends. Not to mention trying to avoid the violent thrashings of Zalgo's arms.

As the attack ensued, Trixie and Shad watched. Shad could not use his shadows here while Zalgo was in control and he had no weapon. Trixie didn't know how to fight. She stared up at Ben in despair, hating that she couldn't help him or any of the others. She shook her head, flinching whenever she heard Zalgo retaliating. She looked at Shad, praying he had a solution. He wasn't looking at her though, he was looking at Slender. He grabbed Trixie's arm to take her with him as he rushed forward. They stopped at Slender's side, where he was still being shielded by Rochelle and Jack.

Poor Jack was sobbing. Whatever killer had had been, he was just a child now. Lost and scared. Unable to think straight. Rochelle watched the violence, wanting to assist in some way but she dare not leave Slender's side. If he fell too far into the Sickness then they really would be lost.

"We need to get him away from Zalgo, the Sickness will only make him worse," Shad said quickly.

"We can't leave the others!" Rochelle looked horrified, scared even.

"I know, but we need to get Slender away!"

Trixie shook her head, "There's nowhere to go!"

"No… No escape…" Jack muttered, "No help…"

"ENOUGH!"

His voice carried out a wave of destruction, blasting them all backwards with a force clotted with burning debris. They crashed to the ground in masses of bodies and ash. They struggled to detangle themselves and jump back to their feet. But by the time that had become a possibility, Zalgo was on the other side of the room. Having moved at inhuman speed to put as much distance between them as possible. This could be seen as a good thing, but it wasn't. For now he was closer to Slender again.

"You've trained them poorly old friend…" He snarled, looming over him and swatting his hand out, throwing Rochelle to the ground, "I grow tired of these games. No more distractions. Lets end this."

"NO!"

Zalgo lashed out, but his hand stopped inches from Slender. He found that his path had been intercepted. He snarled, looking down at the pathetic mite that dares to challenge him yet again. But he faltered in surprise. For instead of one of the Proxies, he saw a different figure.

She was shaking, weak, and looking more human than she ever had been before. Her blackened eyes were showing the smallest hint of white and an even smaller fleck of green. Her black hair was matted where red blood rather than black was escaping the slowly healing wound at the back of her head. Her skin was still ivory white, but that didn't change the slight red to her cheeks from the rage she felt. Zalgo burned in malicious fury.

"Jane… Get out of the way…"

She spoke calmly, clearly with a new clarity that she hadn't possessed for a long time. Her tone was laced with spite, "Sorry, _Daddy_ , but I don't listen to you anymore."

 **A/N:**

 **He bitch is back ladies and gents! But… she's sane now? How does this change things? Find out next time!**


	21. Peace

**A/N:**

 **So Jane got a bit of a back bone all of a sudden! Where is this going to take us?**

 **Also, one of you asked how to find me on Twitter and the like. It's easy really. On Twitter just look for ItsAScribbler. On Tumblr look for abacada123. And for my blog look for Amy Scribbler on wordpress uk. Looking forward to seeing you there! XD**

 _It was cold the day it happened. When life ended and nightmares began. Of course it didn't seem like it at the time. At the time, it was the day of the perfect escape. She closed the front door behind her and made her way to the bathroom. There was no lock. She wasn't allowed to have one. Apart from the front and back door, there were no locks in this house. Well, there was one more. There was one on the medicine cabinet._

 _She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked tired. Her skin was sallow and slightly sunken. Her green eyes had dark shadows under them and her black hair hung limply from its pony-tail, little parts straying away around her thin face. She sighed, pulling it loose and running her fingers through it, her palm tracing lightly over the burn scars on her cheek as she did so._

 _The memory of how she got them flashed through her mind. When she was a young child, she'd attended a friends birthday party. But… it had gone horribly wrong. Teenage boys had shown up out of nowhere and zoned in on a boy who was in his teens. Things didn't turn out well… The only thing she remembered was hiding under the snack table when they'd started yelling. Then the fire started and she didn't get out as fast as she should have. She remembered the boy they'd been circling on. He burned more than she did. He… He didn't look human. But she couldn't do anything to help him. That was all she remembered before she woke up in hospital a few hours later, her face badly burned on the one side. A few weeks later, she'd heard that the boy had survived too, but hadn't come out the same. He was a murderer. She had watched a murderer burn… But not die. She was only six at the time. She hadn't come out the same either._

 _Now she was twenty-two. Still burned, and still having nightmares. The sleep medication, therapy and additional prescriptions weren't cheap either, and she knew it was taking its toll on her parents. Most people would have moved out of their parents house by now and be in college or something. But she couldn't even spend one night alone without having an anxiety attack or some form of hallucination that threatened her life. She didn't understand why that day had affected her so much. She had been six. It was so long ago. Shouldn't she be better? Shouldn't she be free of fear? Shouldn't she be able to be trusted to have a bathroom lock? The scars on her wrists told her otherwise. No… There was no escape from this. She was broken. She knew that._

 _She turned away from the mirror in disgust, hugging her arms around herself so she looked even more shrunken in on herself than she already did with her oversized sweater swamping her. She hated how she looked. She hated how her mind worked. She hated that she couldn't just end it. Or at least switch it off. She'd tried to end it, hence the scars, just to make things easier on her parents. But… she was even denied that little shred of free will. It just made everything worse. But, unfortunately, this was the life and routine she lived in now. She would wake up, medicate, attend her therapy, medicate, take a suggested walk through the park on her way home, medicate, pretend to be a good daughter, medicate, sleep, repeat. She wasn't allowed to look for work. She wasn't allowed to talk to anyone without permission and supervision. She was… trapped. She wanted to be free._

" _Jane? Have you taken your pills yet?"_

 _Jane startled from her visions of self-pity and fire, gasping as she was brought back to reality, "Y-Yeah, mom. Just… Just taking them now."_

" _Okay," Her mother poked her head around the bathroom doorway. She looked almost at tired as Jane. She worked too hard, it was a wonder she could even keep her eyes open long enough to look at her deformed daughter, "Don't forget, we're going visit your grandmother tomorrow morning."_

" _But… my session?"_

" _I think you can afford to miss one," She said in a way that should have been playful and parental. But instead came out strenuous, hidden with the message 'we can not afford every session'. Which was true._

 _Jane felt a stab of guilt, "Okay…"_

" _Good girl. Now take your pills and we can have a nice sit down. Okay?"_

" _Okay…"_

 _The same routine. The same conversations. It was the same stabs of guilt every day. She looked at her reflection again and found that she was crying, her tears making her scars glisten grotesquely. She wanted it to end. She wanted to be able to live._

 _The night passed as normal. Her night was sleepless. Her scars burned as if they were being recast over and over. Grim images of burning corpses and screaming nightmares passed behind her eyes. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead and matted in her hair. She sat bolt upright in the middle of the night. Her sheets damp from sweat, but… also blood. She looked at her arms and sobbed silently. She'd clawed herself in her sleep again, adding to the scabs already stripped across her skin. She sniffed, the smell of blood and medication laced in the air and made her retch. With more effort than she cared to admit, she staggered back to the bathroom to wash her arms, avoiding the mirror as much as she could._

 _Something didn't feel right, as if she were still in her nightmares, drunk on drugs and sluggish with insomnia. Her blood made her feel sick to see, swirling down the drain. Her life was running away from her. There was nothing she could do to stop it. All because of one night… One night where a fire had burned far more than her skin. There were days when she wondered if it was her that had been changed the most rather than that teenager turned murderer. It was hard to tell sometimes. The idea scared her. She started sobbing, sinking to the floor. Her pill cupboard was locked tight. She couldn't get her medicine. Her skin crawled, more drops of blood escaped. It made her feel sick. At the last moment, she lurched forward, emptying the drugged content of her stomach into the sink. Mostly acid. She couldn't eat properly. She felt so weak. She sank to the floor again. The smell of acid and blood curdling before her and scorching her from the inside out. Her burns ached._

" _M-Mom… Dad… I-I need- I need help…" She whispered hoarsely, "H-Help… Please… N-No more… Can't do it…"_

 _On a normal day, her parents would come in to medicate her, then get her back to bed where they'd probably stay all night. But there were some days when they would take their sweet time about it. Wanting to at least pretend that they would have a quiet night before being forced to handle their daughter. Tonight seemed like one of those nights. No one was coming to help her this time._

 _Panic surged through her. Why wasn't there anyone her to help? Where were they? She whimpered, clawing her way across the tilled floor and across the landing. Why wasn't… Why wasn't anyone helping her? Why couldn't she help herself? The carpet leading to her parents room was damp. She looked down, her hands were soaked in blood. She screamed, scrambling to her feet just to create distance. Was she still dreaming? Was she awake? She ran. Colliding with her parents room and throwing open the door. Blood. So much blood._

 _They were laying on the floor of the room. Blood splattered over the walls, soaked into the sheets. Her parents were… motionless. Their lifeless eyes staring at her as if they were blaming her. Her fault. All her fault. She shook her head, clutching her hair and shaking her head._

" _M-Mom… Dad please… No I didn't- No wake up please!"_

 _But they didn't. She couldn't wake them up. She couldn't be woken up. The hallucinations just wouldn't end. They were just hallucinations right? They had to be! They couldn't be dead! It was all a dream! A nightmare! It couldn't be real! All she had to do was escape it! She turned her head away and ran. If she ran fast enough, she'd startle herself away! That had to work! Her parents weren't dead!_

 _She ran. She turned on her heal and tried to sprint away. But she only made it so far before she was frozen in fear once more. There were figures and shadows lurking along the corridor. They moved slowly. A white mask illuminated for just a second. Black tearful eyes. Red glitchy eyes. Three of them. They were there. Then they were gone. It was so cold. So damn cold. She sobbed helplessly._

" _What are you…?" She whispered, "Get out of my head…"_

 _In a split second, they surrounded her. Weapons that she couldn't make out lifted above her. Real or not, they were going to kill her. And for a split second… She wanted them to._

" _Help…" She muttered, closing her eyes and waiting._

 _But her life didn't end. Not just yet anyway. After a few minutes, or seconds, she wasn't sure. It was hard to tell what time was passing anymore. It didn't make sense. Jane started to wonder if it really all had been a nightmare. But… she didn't want it to be a nightmare. Maybe she wanted it to be real. Maybe then she would be allowed to die and be at peace. But that never came either. When he opened her eyes, they were still there._

 _She sank to her knees, looking up at them like she was the child that had been scarred so long ago, "I don't understand…"_

" _Then explain…"_

 _The room seemed to freeze. The figures surrounding her became statues of figures she didn't recognise. Not that she did before. But now they were even different from that. What was happening? It didn't make sense? She sobbed, curling in on herself. The voice came from nowhere. It echoed inside her head and yet it was surrounding her, coming from everywhere. It was low and had a cold edge to it, but at the same time was speaking slowly to try and reach her. She couldn't flinch from it. It was… welcoming to her. But she didn't understand why._

" _What's happening to me?"_

" _Your parents were just murdered."_

" _Did… they do it?" She asked, scared and looking around blindly, trying to get a look at the figures around her._

" _Yes. I was hungry."_

" _What… What are you?"_

" _Someone who needs assistance, little doll. As do you. Tell me… your name."_

 _Little doll. That's what her father used to call her. Before the fire, "J-Jane."_

" _Full name, if you please.""_

 _Wouldn't her father know her full name? Was this her dad? What had happened to her parents again? "Jane Darcy Richardson…"_

" _And what can I do for you, Jane Darcy Richardson?" It sounded oddly happy._

 _So many things. She whimpered, shaking her head and hiding her face in her hands. Mommy, Daddy, help me! "Take me away from here… S-Save me…"_

" _Of course, little doll," The voice chuckled, "But first, look in the mirror, Jane."_

 _She didn't understand what was happening, but she couldn't refuse the voice echoing inside her head. It was so clear, so… inviting. She trusted it. Her head shakily looked up, and she gasped, recoiling at first before venturing forward. She… didn't recognise herself. Her scarred, burned skin was… ivory white and flawless. All signs of her scars and burns were melting away. Her limp black hair has transformed into thick masses of waves around her shoulders. She blinked and watched in both horror and fascination as the colour drained from her eyes, the pupils expanding to only black remained. Her fingers twitched, fear and adrenaline and wonder pulsing through her. It burned and chilled her at the same time. It was… wonderful. She stroked her hands over herself. She felt stronger. Powerful. She felt full again. Complete!_

" _What am I?"_

" _Evolved. Protected. Strong. Mine. Should I go on?"_

 _Jane felt herself smile for… the first time in so long. Her teeth were sharp, glistening. At that moment, all thoughts of what she had been, what she had been through and who she was, vanished. Her mind was only filled with what she was now. A strange sound escaped her. She was laughing, giggling. It was maddening to hear and addictive. Her head was frazzled with the new sensations that overwhelmed her. None of this made sense. But she had never felt so free!_

" _Am I dead? Am I free?"_

" _Free. Yes. Dead, I wouldn't allow that."_

" _I'm… worth something to you?"_

" _You're worth everything to me." The voice whispered, "I need you as much as you need me, Jane. My little doll… Will you help me?"_

 _She couldn't stop laughing. Her mind was on fire. The world around her collapsed. Who was she? What happened to Jane? That Jane was gone. She never existed. Now… Now she was real. Now she was powerful. She could do whatever she wanted now! No one was going to stop her! She was free!_

" _Yes!" She cackled, tugging at her new hair, "You'll help me too?"_

" _Of course… There's much to do, and you have some new abilities to learn…" There was something dark about its tone, but so inviting too. It made her feel like she was the most valuable thing in the world, "Come Jane…"_

 _The mirror dissolved and she was left looking out at a vast open space. Dark and covered in decay and ash. The cold air was thick with a smell almost like rot and blood. She breathed it in. It was amazing. A rush like no other ran though her. A figure waited up ahead. It towered over her, charred skin coated it while flames lashed out from the cracks. She gasped, a grin spreading unnaturally wide on her face. Her mind went blank. He was all she saw. He was all that mattered. He had made her into this being of power. She owed him everything. He… He would be her saviour._

" _Do you want me to save you, Jane? Shall I be your saviour?"_

" _Yes… Daddy…"_

 _It smiled, flames slithering over its skin, "There's a good little doll…"_

* * *

Jane stood firmly in front of Zalgo, her arms outwards to try her best to shield Slender behind her. There was a noticeable change about her. Her skin was still ivory white, but it had a more human quality to it. Along one of her cheeks, an angry set of burn scars were starting to push their way through to the surface. The black of her eyes was fading. Not by much, but just the faintest flecks of green were starting to show. The biggest change, was that she seemed sober for the first time since they'd met her. She was standing straight and steady. A cold look in her eyes as she glared up at Zalgo. She had been strong as long as they'd known her, but this was different. This strength, it was human.

"Don't hurt my friends Daddy…" She said like a child that was being scolded. Then a split second later her tone hardened, "Let them go!" She faltered again, "Daddy stop this… No! No stop it you evil-"

"Hush, little doll…" Zalgo hissed, "You don't want to hurt yourself."

Despite her mind set twitching from one side to another, her overall aim stayed strong. She did not move and she did not shy away. Clear tears trickled from her eyes, over her scars and down her chin. The black ooze gone for now it seemed.

"You… made me hurt so many people…" She whispered, "You made me kill…"

"You handed your name over to me. I saved you!"

"This is not saving! This is condemning!"

"You would have drowned in your insanity if it were not for me!"

"I was not insane, Daddy!" She shook herself, "I was not insane! I… I was… I wasn't well."

"You wanted death!"

"And you took that from me! You took everything from me! Daddy I… You're not my Dad I-I can't do this anymore! I was sick but I wasn't a killer!"

Zalgo snarled, "Tell me… If I hadn't scraped you from the bottom of your pitiful self, what would you be doing? Tell me, little doll, so we can get this over with."

Jane sniffed, shaking her head. This was wrong. This was all wrong! It didn't make sense! It wasn't right! Tears poured down her face. She'd wanted freedom! She'd wanted to be well and she'd wanted to live her life! She'd wanted to end it too… In truth, she didn't know what she wanted. Just an escape. But this… This had not been an escape. It had been a nightmare. Once she was too blinded by the promise of protection to see properly. But as soon as that protection had gone, as soon as she'd seen just how much it had cost her, she couldn't take it anymore.

Maybe there had always been a part of her that knew that this was wrong. But she couldn't fully grasp the concept. Now… Now she could see everything. The faces of the people she'd killed. The life she'd taken. The souls she'd feasted on. The fear she'd caused. Now she saw the moment she'd ended her life and become this… thing. It wasn't human. It was not what she'd wanted. It was not freedom. He… He was a monster. How she hadn't seen that before, even she didn't understand. But all she knew was that she was as much a monster as he was. It had to end.

"You're not my Daddy…" She whispered, "You took everything from me."

"You had nothing."

"I had a chance!" She screamed.

"Poor, pathetic little thing…" Zalgo chuckled darkly, reaching out harshly and clasping her by the throat, "Wait your turn won't you? I said I'll spare you till last and I'll honour it."

In a split second, her skin went from icy cold to flaming hot. She squirmed and kicked and clawed at him. She couldn't let this happen again! If she really was dead then she wanted it to be in peace! She glared at him, her nails like black claws. He brought her closer as if to proclaim his control over her, which is when she made a move. Her claws glistened in the air as they lashed out. They sliced across his face, his charred skin flaking away harshly and fire flooding out. She didn't give him time to take notice of her. She just slashed at him. Again and again. Over and over. The rage she'd been denied, the fear she'd forced to suppress all came out in one giant wave. An animal like cry escaped her as she did so. Zalgo faltered for just a moment, actually caught by some sense of surprise. But that didn't last for long. Yet it was all she needed. She slipped through his fingers and latched onto his face, eyes wild with rage.

"You pathetic fool! I own you! I MADE you! You answer to me! You owe everything to ME!"

Jane sobbed, tightening her grip. Her teeth were gritted, eyes glinting from merciful to vengeful like she was too conflicted to think straight. But this pull couldn't control her anymore. She had to do this. This had to end. She raised her hand, fingers bent like claws and black nails practically dripping with venom. Everything about her powers were on show. The shadows around her body to latch onto Zalgo and strangle him, venomous nails, a need for bloodshed, surprising grip, no more pain to stand in her way, death to ensure her security, it was all merging together toxically just to keep a hold on him. But then, one more power surged through. One long forgotten and greatly missed. Sanity. It was weak and feeble, just as she remembered it. It wasn't good, but she had missed it. And she clung to it as if it were the most powerful thing in the world.

She felt the tears burn down her cheeks. The feeling of the others watching her gave her the push she needed. This had to end. It had to, "I'm sorry, Daddy," She spat, showing she didn't mean a word of it, "You made me too strong."

When Slender had destroyed Zalgo, it was like watching a colossal being tearing apart a mountain. A lot of force, a sound that would make the earth shatter and an explosion of ash and fire that reigned down from all around. There had been little escape from the destruction. There had been pure hatred and violence to create such an obliteration, but also some mercy. As Ben would put it, it had been a hell of a show.

But this… this was sorrowful. This was the equivalent of a child being torn apart from the inside. She was sobbing as she attacked him. Crying out when he lashed out and burned her. All of her abilities were at work. Her shadows coiled around him. Her venom seeped into his skin. When used all at once, it caused her so much pain. But she didn't dare stop. Not now.

She looked at Slender, then to the surrounding Proxies. Sweat and tears and blood poured from her face, "I'm sorry…" She said weakly, praying someone heard her, "I'm sorry…"

Jane reached a hand up, taking a split second to aim. Then she plunged her hand into Zalgo's chest. He riled in fury and pain, lashing out at her and impaling her with one of his talons. She screamed, but only tightened her grip. With the same strength and ferocity that Slender once had, she tore his chest open.

The mangled collaboration of screams and agony thrust through the air. A bright light of fire blinded them. For a moment, they felt as though they no longer existed. Just as it started it stopped. They felt drained. The force of the explosion seemed to wipe them of all energy. Of all the stresses and strains and horror, the sudden silence was just… exhausting.

Slender struggled to sit up and look around. Everything was still, silent, and dark. But it was as if time had stopped. Everyone was frozen. He tried to look around but there was just darkness. A new layer of flaming ash drifted almost peacefully through the thin air. A figure was crouched in front of him. A horribly burnt, trembling young woman. She was crying. She was staring at him.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, "I didn't want to… D-Daddy tricked- I mean… He protected me- But he hurt me but-but-"

 _Shh… Jane…_ Slender hushed, his voice gravelly and strained, _You were tricked into a world you should have been spared from…_

"You wanted to help me, and I tried to hurt you. H-He made me…"

 _He's gone, Jane… Please, let me help you…_

"There's no help for me. I know that. But… I'm okay. Maybe… M-Maybe I can help you now?"

 _Being dead doesn't mean there's no help, Jane… Come back with us…_

"I'm free. That's all I ever wanted," She looked down at her hands. She was already starting to fade. She knew what was happening, she was passing on. She was going to be at peace. For the first time, she smiled, but it wasn't sickening or grim or dark. It was soft, genuine, she was… happy, "Thank you…"

Just as she started to fade, she lay her hand on his, her smile never fading even as she began to dissolve into the air. She closed her eyes, feeling at peace. It was wonderful. It was… right. Her last passing wish, was for them to feel this freedom too. The darkness closed in. Warm and gentle. Freedom. Let them all be free.

 _I'm sorry I couldn't save you Jane…_

 **A/N:**

 **There was nothing you could do Slendy…**

 **So that was a little look into Jane's past, take it how you like, I just thought it was a little hint into the original story of Jane and Jeff, but just my own little twist. It wasn't the best, but I hoped you liked it all the same.**

 **This wasn't a last ditch effort to make you like Jane, it was just a little look into why she did what she did and why she joined Zalgo. She wasn't in her right mind and had a tough time of it. But… now she's at peace. Or is she? And where are they all now?**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all again in the next one! XD**


	22. At Last

**A/N:**

 **Sorry this chapter took so long guys! With Christmas coming up I've been getting more work hours so things have been pretty crazy. But here it is, the next chapter! Finally! So, what happened after Jane passed on? Lets find out…**

When the Sickness and the darkness had cleared, there was warmth in the air. It was a wonderful relief from the burning chill they had been engulfed in for so long. The air wasn't fresh, but it was clean and free of ash and dust. The ground beneath them no longer felt like a dense layer of ice, but the oddly comforting feeling of thin, worn carpet. In comparison, the artificial light from the bulb was a pull of safety in comparison to the ominous darkness that had surrounded them. It didn't take them long to realize where they were. Finally, at long last, they were home.

Of course they'd all needed their time to recover. In other words, they lay where they had been dropped and did not move for what felt like hours. They were exhausted, physically and mentally. They couldn't call it sleep as they lay in a muddled heap on the floor, more like passing out. But at least they were in familiar company and a far more comforting setting. They couldn't remember how much time had passed, but they did know that it had given them some sense of peace. They awoke hours or maybe even days later. It was honestly impossible to tell at the time.

But when they did finally come to some sort of awakening, they did not plan on sitting still for long. One of the first things they noticed was that they were no longer in Zalgo's lair of Sickness. They were in the common room. Home. They were actually home. It took a while to process the fact. But it took a lot longer to process just how that had happened. The last thing they remembered was Jane attacking Zalgo and then… nothing. Just darkness closing in around them before they woke up here. It didn't make sense. Not at the time anyway.

Not long after they'd gathered their heads, started work on healing whatever wounds they had acquired. They all moved as if they were on autopilot, feeling numb and empty. It was as if they were trying to process all that had happened into an understandable storyline. But there was something else added into the mix. It was sad, cold, like a chunk had been taken away from them without them originally being aware of it. But it was a feeling they all slowly started to register as being familiar. It was mourning. For some reason, they all felt as if they were in mourning.

Soon enough, it became evident that no one had said a word since they'd returned. The time didn't seem real anymore without noise. They just waited for Slender to explain what had happened, but none of them had the energy to push. But finally, after managing to regain some of his strength, he gathered them all into his office to talk to them. He didn't know what he was going to say. Everything had happened so fast that it didn't even feel real anymore. Like some horrible nightmare that they had shared and now could barely remember. Yet… some things could never be forgotten.

 _How… How are you all…?_ Slender asked. He still sounded weak and shaky where he had not fully recovered. He probably wouldn't for a long time yet. It was strange to hear him sound awkward too, as if he had thought and thought about what to say to them since he awoke and this was the nearest thing to a decent fit he could find. He already knew the answer.

"We're in one piece and the ones that are meant to be alive are so…" Kate shrugged, oddly quiet for her, "There's that."

There was a tension in the air. Not unsettling just… empty. No one really knew what to say. It was all so quiet and still. After all the rush and fear they'd experienced in the past couple of weeks, to have a still moment like this was something they needed to get to used to.

"A-Are you okay, Slender?" Trixie asked, her voice sounding too loud in the quiet atmosphere.

He was sitting in his chair, slumped slightly as if it hurt to stand. Rochelle was at his side, a hand on his shoulder, and Jack clinging to her hand. Slender sighed deeply, a rasp to it where ash had not cleared from his throat completely, _I am well enough… I think I am still trying to process what actually happened…_

"Don't strain yourself, cher," Hushed Rochelle gently, "We're all in need of rest."

"I don't need rest," Jeff growled, sounding sore and tired, "I want to know if we won or not!"

"You got to admit, Slendy, not many of us were in the best state of mind down there," Ben shrugged a shoulder.

Jack whimpered, shaking his head, "It was so dark."

"It's alright, petite," Rochelle, put her arm around the boys shoulders comfortingly, "It's over now."

"Is it?" Masky asked awkwardly.

 _I cannot say that we won… Zalgo is gone if that is what you mean, but… we also lost Jane in the process… I'm not sure I can count that as victory…_

Shad lowered his eyes when an uncomfortable knot in his stomach twisted. They all shared the same feeling, the one that explained the feeling of mourning. Although they didn't fully understand it, "What happened to her, Sir? Zalgo was about to cast her aside and then… she suddenly snapped. I don't understand."

"And how did Zalgo just… go like that?" Alice questioned, "I thought only demons could kill demons."

Hoody nodded his agreement, hands moving to repeat the question. His movements were a lot shakier than usual, the rush of adrenaline and physical strain of attack wearing off.

Slender, lowered his head, taking a moment to answer, _That is true, only demons can destroy other demons… But remember that Zalgo designed Jane to be a killing machine… Jane had a point when she said that Zalgo made her too well… His creation was his downfall…_

"There's no way to save Jane?" Toby asked, "She did us one hell of a solid back there."

 _Jane does not need saving… Once the Sickness overwhelmed her and she remembered who she was, and ridded herself of her burden, she was free… She was able to pass on in peace…_

"She was going to let us rot down there," Jeff muttered sourly, "She took us there to start with."

 _No Jeff, although she had the ability to bring us there, it wasn't her choice to do so… It was Zalgo controlling her… Her last choice was to free us… Her passing wish I suppose you could say, a powerful thing…_

"Think she'll ever come back?" Ben asked with a hint of reluctance. Not because the idea of Jane returning was unsettling, but because, well, as a ghost watching another ghost vanish, he was concerned.

Slender seemed to soften his tone slightly, as if to treat the topic with some care considering who he was talking to, _Once you have passed on, there is no coming back… But Sickness works in many ways even I am not aware of yet… The impossible could happen once more…_

Ben felt someone touch his arm, and he glanced to the side to see Trixie next to him. She looked up at him with concern, taking his hand. His fingers curved around hers. He wasn't going anywhere.

"But… couldn't that be said for Zalgo too?" Kate pointed out, looking cautious.

 _I suppose… But at the end of the day, both were destroyed, it's both a safe and a sorrowful estimate to make that neither have a high chance of returning…_

Trixie rubbed her shoulder that was now wrapped up in a bandage, "At least she remembered who she was before all this… When it mattered."

 _And that…_ Slender sighed, not fully content, but at least at ease, _is a little fact I am grateful for…_

"So, what do we do now, Sir?" Masky asked, "Without Jane or Zalgo, do we return to the usual routine?"

Hoody gave him a flat look that did not need translation. Why the hell was he thinking about work at a time like this? But it didn't matter, for Slender chose to paraphrase, _For now, I would like for you all too rest and fully recover… I shall do likewise… To be perfectly honest, I think we earned it…_

"Got that fucking right…" Jeff muttered sourly, only to be elbowed by Alice. He gave her a look, she just rolled her eyes.

Ben cracked a smile, probably the first genuine one since the chaos had fallen around them, "Hell I don't even sleep and I could go for a nap."

"But Sir?" Shad stepped in, looking curious but reluctantly so, "I… I don't think we can just rest and forget about this just like that. So much has happened, there's still Sickness that Jane unwillingly left behind. We have to make sure that travel to Zalgo's realm is no longer possible. We-"

 _I would never ask you all to forget…_ Slender said gently, _I don't want any of us to forget… Which is why I am asking us all to take time to recuperate… We must be allowed to recover, to mourn and to learn from our experiences… Jane used her last shred of humanity to save us… That must never be forgotten…_

The group shared a moments silence. Some were less willing to believe his words than others, but they all couldn't deny the truth.

Finally, Slender spoke again, _I would also like to thank you all… You were brave despite the possible outcomes, and you fought the Sickness and Zalgo honourably… I… I was proud to call you my Proxies… My team…_

Trixie smiled, the feeling felt strange after all that had happened, but it was necessary. She felt as though she should say something, to thank him for keeping them safe, or at least fighting for them. But, unfortunately, Ben beat her to it. He scoffed lightly, not meaning it, "You must be tired if you're getting that sappy on us, Slendy."

To their surprise, Slender let out something that sounded like a whisper of a chuckle, _Perhaps so… Now go… Rest and recover… As soon as I have more answers of where we go from here, I'll call you all once more…_

* * *

The room was awfully quiet when the others left. So quiet that for a moment Slender almost felt the urge to call them back in again just so there would be noise. But he resisted. Part of his recovery process was not to make the others worry too much. He had just told them that everything was at peace once more. He couldn't take that away from them over nothing. He was exhausted and weak. A lot of life force had been drained from him and it would take a long time for it to rebuild. But at least it was over. He had to remind himself of that. Even if he felt sorrow at losing Jane. He just had his mind set on saving her. If he could have saved her before Zalgo returned, then perhaps she would have had a chance to regain her sanity. He had given the same treatment to all of his Proxies, saving them from the madness of the Sickness and given them a hope of survival. Why should she have been treated differently just because of who created her?

But he'd been too late. He'd been too weak. But at least he had the small reassurance to hold onto that she was at peace now and she had passed on in her own mind. That, he had to remember. He sighed and looked to the side where Rochelle still stood. Her hand gave an encouraging squeeze on his shoulder before smiling tiredly. She looked just as worn as he did. The change of dress not taking away the dark shadows under her scarlet eyes or the dishevelled strands of her hair. He wanted to say something to her. Something to at least take away the shame he felt. But before he could even summon a single word, he had beaten him to it.

"I know exactly what you're going to say, cher." She sighed, somewhat mournful, "You are going to say that I was repeating past mistakes. I saw how you looked at me when I hit Jane with that chair… You were thinking of when I last defended you with violence. When you made the choice to send me away. I just… wonder if the same result will occur."

Slender flinched, horrified by the thought. He shook his head firmly, reaching out and taking her hands, _No, no my dear… Never… I was wrong in the past; I openly admit that and still beg forgiveness… You did the right thing to protect me back then and you did right to protect the others and I this time… I will never hurt you like that again, Rochelle… I promise…_

A slight pink rose in her cheeks, "O-Oh… Forgive me, I thought-"

 _Please don't apologise, my dear… There is nothing for you to apologise for…_ He sighed, giving her hands a squeeze, _What I was going to say was… That the way I have been acting lately, it has been unforgivable… I was so focussed on trying to bring Jane back to some sort of sanity that I overlooked reason… I ignored all your warnings, along with the others and it almost killed us all… I… I am sorry…_

Rochelle sighed deeply, as if she were expecting this. She didn't blame him, and she could forgive him, but she appreciated the apology all the same. However, it was not all necessary, "We survived, cher… We survived and Jane is at peace, remember that. You only wanted to do what you could to help those in need. I am proud of you for that."

 _I am so sorry, my dear… How I spoke to you and dismissed you was unforgivable…_

"I was angry too, cher." She reminded, "It was a stressful time for all of us. But it's over now."

 _I suppose this is where you tell me that you told me so… You have every right…_

"Oui. It is a lovers job after all, to do so." She chuckled as she stood up on her tip toes gracefully, pressing her lips to the area where his mouth would have been were he human. Finally free from the darkness to do so.

* * *

One of the first things Shad did once he had the energy, was walk to the one place he really needed to be. Emily's house. That's right. Walk. He did not have the energy to summon his shadows to travel. It would be best to reserve that particular strength for when he felt he needed it. So he took the walk. It was actually surprisingly peaceful. To walk in the night, among the shadows without actually being part of them. Of course, he did his best to remain unseen. But… he wasn't as worried as usual. The walk gave him a lot more time to think. Not really about Slender or what had happened, he did not blame anyone for it and he had accepted the past, and was allowing himself to move on. Another reason why he ended up thinking about his past.

The fact was, he was not ashamed of his human heritage. He was ashamed of his demon heritage. Not even the fact that it was a relation of Slender's. It was the fact that he had been forced upon someone as a result of the vile and unforgivable actions of a demon. In a twisted way, he feared that he would inherit such traits. Which is probably why he was so careful around Emily. The very idea of her fearing him or hurting her made him sick. He cared too much for her to treat her in such a way. He'd protect her. Not hurt her.

Peace. It seemed everyone was gaining their little part of it today. He felt it when he looked up at Emily's house. It was the same as it always had been. Most of the lights were off, but one remained on. A faint, warm glow upstairs. He smiled and ventured forth. Although he was not travelling via shadows in order to save his energy, he allowed himself the luxury of using one move up the wall with ease. He wasn't exactly the most athletic person even if he was strong. He stopped when he reached the window, peering inside.

Emily was fast asleep in her bed. Around her eyes were dark where it looked like she'd either been crying or found it hard to sleep or both. She muttered something, but he couldn't hear. He didn't want to disturb her, and almost turned around. But he'd come this far, and even in sleep she looked troubled. He had to see what was wrong. As gently as he could, he tapped at the window. At first, she didn't move. But the more he tried, the more she began to stir. It must have been a light sleep she was under, because it didn't take her long before she was sitting up and looking around. She nearly startled back when she saw him lurking at the window. But that didn't last long. In a split second she lifted the window open and was leaning out to hug him around the shoulders.

"Oh thank god… You're okay!" She would have been shouting, but she had the sense to remember that her parents were asleep only a few doors over, "You were gone so long and- I left the window open for you every night, why didn't you just come in?

He was momentarily stunned by her sudden closeness and alertness that he didn't respond for a moment. However he managed to recover himself, clearing his throat awkwardly, but unable to resist hugging her in return, "I-I didn't know it was open. And… As I've said before, I've intruded on you enough in the past."

"I think I'll forgive you when you just vanish for so long after telling me you were all in danger," She pulled back a little and slapped his shoulder, "Never scare me like that… okay?"

There was a softness to her tone, a look of pleading in her tired eyes. He hesitated, "You… You've been scared, for me?"

She lowered her eyes a moment, nodding, "Of course I was."

He didn't know what to say. On one hand he was happy to know that she had been thinking of him. But on the other hand, it hurt him to think that she had been scared for him. He noticed the chill of the night air and how her arms were starting to develop goosebumps from it. So he said the first thing that came to mind, "May I come in?"

"I keep telling you, you don't have to ask," She rolled her eyes playfully, pulling away from him to make room at the window for him to enter.

Shad shut the window behind him, drawing the curtains, "It… It was dangerous out there, Emily. Leaving your light on and window unlocked, anything could have happened."

"I know," She replied, looking at her bare feet sheepishly, "I just… I just really wanted you to come back."

The same conflicted feeling rushed through him, "I did come back."

"Yes, you did," She looked up at him, smiling, "You said that it was dangerous out there. Past tense. Does… What happened out there, Shad?"

He sighed, accepting her offer to take a seat at her desk, turning the chair around to face her while she sat on her bed. It was a long story. But he told it well. He told her everything that had happened. How Jane had tricked them, how she had taken them to Zalgo's lair. How Slender had almost been destroyed. Their escape and Jane being at peace, and how they are now in a state of recovery. All the while, she stared at him with a look of shock and awe. He didn't mean to scare her, but he wanted her to know. So there were no more lies.

"Oh my god, Shad, that's, insane. When did this happen? When did you get back?"

"Last night."

Her eyes widened, "Shad, you need to rest! You look-" She cut herself off, clearing her throat, "You need rest."

"I had to see you, I had to let you know that although there's still some dangers out there, this one is over. I didn't want you to be scared anymore."

Emily softened, reaching out a hand and taking his, pulling slightly until he got the message to come and join her sitting on the bed. She lay her head on his shoulder, "I'm just glad it's over."

"Trust me, so am I." He felt his throat go a little try, but he felt enough bravery to put his arm around her shoulders, resting his head on hers, "I don't know how long it will take for my team to recover back to their full strength. But we're getting there, steadily."

"Good, I'm glad. Don't scare me like that again, okay?" She smiled up at him.

"I'll certainly do my best not to," He returned gently.

For a while, they just sat there. His arm around her and her head rested against him. It was calm, and quiet and comfortable. For the first time in what felt like forever, it all just felt right. He didn't want to leave, but he feared that he was making her feel awkward by now saying anything. So he cleared his throat sheepishly, breaking the silence. He didn't want to, but he felt he should. Like he'd invaded enough of her personal space enough as it was.

"You look as though you need rest too, Emily," He blinked, "I-I mean, I apologise that sounded-"

"I know I need rest, Shad," She chuckled, her eyes looking bright despite the shadows under them, "I imagine all of your team does."

"Quite so… As you've seen, Kate will pretend she does not need it. But the others, like Jack, Trixie and even Jeff definitely need it."

Emily's face faltered for a moment. She looked down, "Trixie?"

"Is everything alright?" Shad asked, "I'm sorry if I upset you?"

"No, you didn't. Just threw me for a moment there. I used to have a friend called Trixie."

Shad nodded in understanding. He had a similar reaction when someone mentioned Emily's name even when not referring to her. It was understandable. But… he couldn't stop his curiosity, "What happened to her?"

"One of my friends from school." She visibly deflated, "Trixie. She um… vanished about a year ago. People said she went crazy. Killed her family… Escaped a mental institute and just vanished…"

Shad blinked, dumbfounded at the coincidence. Their Trixie had been accused of such things. Of course she had never killed anyone and it was just a mistake on Jeff and Toby's part. But who would know that other than them? "Do you believe that she was capable of such a thing?"

"No." She answered without hesitation, "She would never. I don't know what happened but… I can't believe she did all those things I won't believe it. She'd never hurt anyone. I just… I wish I'd known what happened, I wish I knew that she was okay."

Shad hesitated. Not wanting to just tell her everything when he knew it would only encourage what he was trying to prevent. She would want proof. To see for herself that this was real. Which would mean she'd be getting closer to this world he wanted her away from. But he understood what it meant to be scared for a friend, to be isolated and without answers. He couldn't do that to her. He didn't want to lie. Not when he'd nearly faced the possibility of being without her. He had to tell her.

He took a breath, avoiding her eyes for a moment as he tried to put his words together carefully, "Emily, she's alright."

"What do you mean?"

"Trixie is safe and well," He explained slowly, "She did escape the hospital, but not in the way you think, and she did not kill anyone."

She looked like she had been struck, staring up at him with caution in her eyes, "How could you know that?"

"Because… well, she's part of my team now. She works for Slenderman as a Passive Proxy."

Emily blinked, staring at him in disbelief, trying to recall all of the information he'd given in the past "Passive… the non-killing kind. Research." She shook her head, "Why? How? I-I mean… Oh my god…"

"I know this might be a shock to you. But I'm telling the truth. If I'd known, I would have told you sooner." He assured carefully, reaching out to touch her cheek softly, "Are you alright?"

"I… I think so. It's just… Oh my god, are you serious? She's okay? She's one of you now?"

"Well not like me specifically, but part of my team. She's just fine, Emily, she's safe now at least."

"She was there with you and Kate and Jack for all that time? Dealing with Jane and… whatever else is out there? She's… Can I see her?"

Of course she was stunned. She'd almost given up hope of ever finding her friend, but then this happened! She… felt conflicted. On one had she was happy, thrilled even that Trixie really was alive and well and above all not a murderer! Someone had saved her, given her a chance to live and escape. That was amazing! But on the other hand, she was hurt that Trixie hadn't even tried to get in contact. But then again Shad had taken this long to show himself to her and there was a risk of Sickness but still… She was also scared for her, that Trixie had gone through all of this terror and danger alongside Shad and had possibly almost died! But she was safe now? It was all so much to take in.

Shad hesitated a moment, thinking his answer through, "She's human, and Passive, so I don't see a large risk in doing so, but I would have to talk to Slender. I'm sorry, Emily, if I'd known I'd-"

"I know you would. Just…" She sighed, not happy that there would be more delay but, she did understand. She felt exhausted all of a sudden, resting her head on his shoulder again, "Thank you, for telling me she's okay. Please let me know what Slender says?"

"Of course," He nodded, meaning it, "I promise."

She sighed, "So much is happening at once, it's hard to keep track."

"I know how you feel. I apologise that this is all so much at once for you. Maybe I shouldn't have-"

"Oh stop it," She said with a small smile, "I'm glad you did. It's actually a relief. I mean, my friend is alive, you're alive and… you're here."

He smiled down at her, so relieved to see her happy again. He kept his arm around her, once again enjoying the peace. Things were finally starting to come together. The two of them sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes more. Emily processing the fact that things really were okay and safe again while Shad was trying to process the same thing along with the fact that she still hadn't moved away yet. He wasn't complaining, but he couldn't help but still feel concerned for her safety. What if he did pass on Sickness to her even by something as innocent as this? It… It was possible. They'd been a lot closer than this before. When he had stayed over a few nights ago, all they'd done is lay beside one another while she slept. It had been warm and innocent and wonderful but what if something went wrong? What if he-

"Shad stop it," She muttered, looking up at him worriedly.

"Hm? I'm not-"

"You had that look, the one you always get when you're thinking about Sickness. I'm fine, Shad, really. Nothing bad is going to happen."

"I'm sorry," He muttered sheepishly, "I just can't help but worry sometimes,"

"Oh I know," She chuckled playfully, "We'll be okay."

"But I'm not human. Not completely. I want you safe and that won't happen with-"

"Kate's right. You are an egghead," She chuckled fondly. Then before either of them knew what happened, she was cupping his face in her hands and pulling him closer to press her lips against his. For just a second, it was perfect. But then she froze, eyes snapping open as she released him. She backed up, face flushing and looking mortified, "I-I'm so sorry…"

Shad felt his face heat up against his will, his mouth tingling somewhat. They both looked as stunned as each other, wondering if that really did just happen. Why she was apologising, neither of them knew. It had felt right but at the same time, different. He swallowed dryly, trying to summon words to form correctly and then get the courage to say them.

"I-I, ahem, n-nothing to apologise for."

Emily was very pink in the face, but a small smile was tugging the corner of her lips. She stroked under his eye with her thumb, meeting his silvery eyes with her baby-blues. They were still very close, his hand on his face, the other in his, while his free hand was starting to stroke the back of her head softly. They were both getting flashbacks to the last time they were this close. They'd almost closed the gap completely, but stopped. Why did they stop? Everything was so blurred at the moment.

"I… Do you remember when you were here last?" She muttered, like she was scared of shattering the quiet, "You said that after the danger was over, you'd come back?"

"I do." He said back just as softly.

"W-Well, I-I still want this. Us."

Shad felt his chest tighten. He'd longed to hear her say those words. Her happiness was the most important thing to him. If she was happy and safe, then he would be too. His forehead rested against hers, their noses bushing softly, "As do I… E-Emily, may I ask you something?"

"Anything,"

"I ask… for you to forgive my intrusion."

Before she could ask what he meant, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers softly. He wanted this, to be close to her and not leave her side unless she ordered it. But part of that was to remember his restraint. Although he was holding her hand and kissing her, he was doing so without force, allowing her any opportunity to move away. For a split second, it looked as though she was going to. But it lasted a split second before her eyes closed and she leant against him, returning the kiss and holding him close. The way they fit together, sharing one another's warmth, it was as if this was supposed to happen. They stayed like that for what felt like a lifetime, lips moving against one another and too scared to let one another go as if it would all have been a dream.

But all good things must come to an end, or at least take a break. She pulled away first, her breath a little laboured since out of the two of them she was the only one that needed to breathe. She stayed close though, her eyes opening to meet his. He blinked a few times as if he was stunned at his own boldness. He opened his mouth to say something, to either apologise or panic he wasn't sure.

Emily beat him to it by leaning in to peck his lips softly once more, "You're forgiven."

He breathed a little in relief, half draping his cloak around her when he moved to hug her against him comfortingly, "Thank you."

She giggled quietly, resting against him, enjoying the silky feeling of his shadowed cloak on her skin, "Would… Would you stay again tonight? I don't want to lose you now."

He smiled. Another night beside her sounded like a wonder he thought he'd never experience again. But then again so had the kiss. He nodded, "Of course I will."

That night was similar to the first he'd stayed. The two of them besides one another, huddled close as if to protect one another from unseen dangers that not only didn't exist, but could never reach them. But the difference this time, was the last thing they saw that night, and the first thing they saw that morning, was a chance at a future. Small, but bright and without fear. Emily and Shad slept soundly for the first time in what seemed like forever. Together, at last.

 **A/N:**

 **As you can tell, things are finally starting to wind down. In face, the next chapter will be the very last. I know, it's strange thinking about it. I've loved writing these characters and I'll miss them, but everything must come to an end eventually and a trilogy seems like a good time. So, hopefully that chapter won't take as long as this one did! See you in the next chapter!**


	23. Hope

**A/N:**

 **So here it is, the last chapter of the last story of the Behind Closed Doors series. It has been an adventure and a half writing for these guys and I've loved every minute of it. I want to thank you all so much for the support and advice and hope you've given me through every story and I won't forget it. It means the world to me and it has given me so much confidence to start future projects away from this site. So thank you. I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have. Thank you all, so much.**

 **Without further ado, lets get started on the final chapter…**

As Kate entered the common room, she couldn't help but hold a little smile in secret. After going through a literal hell and back, she didn't expect people to just bounce back so quickly. Well, of course, she could. She was dead. It wasn't like injuries were as big a deal to her as some of the others. But still, she had taken her time along with the others to rest and gather their minds and energy. They'd needed it. However, after Slender had given his reassuring talk, she'd at least expected everyone to sleep for a week. But no. Shad had gone to visit his girl, Smile was back on his feet patrolling the grounds like he usually did in the evening and now… this.

She watched as Jack sat at the small table with Hoody, a deck of cards between them. Hoody was hunched over, hard at work using a pencil to make dents in the corner of each card. Meanwhile Toby and Masky were playing a video game of some sorts, or rather that's what it looked like they were attempting to do. Masky was clearly getting frustrated at Toby's incessant button mashing. It all just looked so… normal. For a split second it was as if nothing of the past horrors had even happened. Almost anyway. Jack still had the dark shadows under his empty eyes. Even though he couldn't feel pain, the grazes on Toby's face was still clear. Everyone had their marks, some more visible than others.

"Y'all having fun?"

"Having fun winning, sure." Toby grinned at some explosion on screen.

Masky sighed, "That… That wasn't a win…"

"Hoody's imprinting brail into the cards for me," Jack muttered quietly, explaining Hoody's actions with the pencil.

Hoody nodded, signing an explanation that he was going to teach the kid a few games to keep his mind off things. He then turned to Jack, reaching across to take his wrist and pressed his fingers into Jack's palm in different shapes to talk to him. Asking if he'd prefer solitaire or rummy.

Jack furrowed his brow in concentration, still getting used to understanding this kind of blind sign language, eventually he smiled when Hoody repeated the question, "Rummy please."

With one more gesture against his palm, Hoody let go of the boys wrist and continued his work. Kate smiled approvingly at the two of them. Blind and mute, who would have guessed. Ah well, she'd seen stranger. Kate sighed, picking up her hat from the hanger built into the wall and put it on, adjusting it her way.

The action wasn't lost on Masky, he paused the game much to his relief and Toby's chagrin, turning to look at Kate with curious eyes, "You're leaving already?"

"You know me, can't keep me locked up for long."

"But… But Slender said we wouldn't be back to work until- ow."

Hoody had tossed the pencil at his head, he really wished his friend would relax once in a while and enjoy the time off…

She chuckled, "I ain't working. You got your ways of recovering, and mine ain't in here."

"So, where are you going?" Jack asked, sounding a little concerned, "A-Are you coming back?"

"I ain't that easy to get rid of, little'un." She ruffled his hair lightly, "As for where I'm going, who knows. Big world out there."

"Will you visit your lake again?" Toby asked innocently.

The mention of it made a glint of some sort appear in the woman's golden eyes, but she was very good at hiding it. She shrugged it off. In all honesty, that's where she most likely would be heading first, just to replace a nightmarish vision with one of serene. But it wasn't likely she'd admit that. She had a reputation to keep after all and being predictable wasn't it, "Like I said, who knows. Do me a favour, boys, keep an eye on this one while I'm gone. And hey, while you're at it get whatever dirt you can on Shadowman and his girl, I'll need some ammo when I get back." She smirked wryly.

Toby saluted, his elbow cracking violently as he did so. Hoody and Masky rolled their eyes but didn't necessarily disagree to it. They all didn't need to say anything about looking after Jack, that one was a given. If they'd learned anything from all this, is that they were going to be keeping an eye out for one another a lot more than before.

"How long are you going for?" Masky asked casually.

Kate shrugged, "Give me a week. Don't want Slendy having too much of a heart attack."

They gave some sort of chuckle in response to that, but they knew that it was probably true. If any of them vanished, even when they planned it, it would only make him worry again. He didn't need that right now. So giving a time limit, and a shorter one at that, was a lot better. Kate had already said her goodbye's to the others and Slender. This was the last lot. She sighed, adjusting her hat again. A small part of her didn't want to go just yet. But she knew that if she stayed inside for much longer then she'd be going a little stir crazy and she wouldn't get back in the game as quickly. No, there were times when everyone needed their space to recover. This was hers.

All in all this wasn't a bad goodbye scene, just knowing that they were safe for at least five minutes. Knowing their luck they'd all be back in some sort of trouble by the time she returned but… hey she would take a moments peace when it showed up! It was just good to see that no one was hurt before she left, and there were at least some good spirits in the air. Despite what image she may portray, she did care. She was dead, but not heartless.

"Good luck out there, Kate." Toby grinned.

"Yeah, little'un," She smiled, "Good luck in here."

* * *

Jeff slumped in his kitchen chair. It was so quiet. So. Damn. Quiet. He wanted to go out. But at the same time, he didn't. It was a freaky mindset that he didn't get in often. He hated it. It made him feel useless and trapped. Frankly he'd had enough of feeling like that for a long time. He wanted to feel like he was actually doing something instead of being stuck in this mess. He wasn't sure how he felt about all that had happened. On one hand… No, he wasn't even going to think about all that crap.

"And here we have the Indominous Jeff…"

The cool tone in his ear made Jeff startle, swinging a fist and just missing his target.

"…Sulking as usual in his natural habitat." Ben finished, smirking and rolling his eyes.

"Piss off," Jeff muttered, slightly less irritated when he saw it was just Ben, "What do you want?"

"A pulse. But since we're just in the kitchen I'll settle for a couple of sodas instead."

Jeff scoffed, "You seem to have recovered well from your hero complex back there."

"I see you haven't," He returned, pulling two cans out of the fridge, "What's up with you?"

He huffed, slumping in his seat again, "I don't know…"

Ben arched an eyebrow, leaning on the fridge and batting his eyelashes at him, "Want to talk about it?"

Jeff actually cracked a smile, "Piss off."

He snickered, "Have it your way."

They laughed a little, filling the empty air around them for just a few seconds. It wasn't much, but it was something. Why not go with it? Jeff gave him a tired look, "You ever think we fucked up back there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like… Hell I wanted to be the one to kill Jane. Then she goes and pulls that stunt. Now it's like… I want to kill her more, but not. I don't get it."

"Honestly, bud, I gave up trying to figure out how your mind works years ago. But if I were to make a guess, you have issues." He said, completely deadpan.

"Gee… Genius," Jeff replied flatly.

"I know, right." He snickered, "But if we're being honest, maybe you're just bored and don't have anything else to think about. I mean… Let's face it, when we're not having our existence threatened or on a job, it does get slow here. Find a hobby or something."

"Like what, soap sculpting?" He snapped.

""Whatever floats your boat, I won't judge."

Jeff rolled his eyes. Then gave him a look, not only wanting to change the subject, but also curious that Ben had pulled two cans out of the fridge instead of one, "One of those for me?"

"No. One's for Trix."

"Newbie? You're getting close… Are you fucking or something?"

Ben cocked an eyebrow, "Wow it really is annoying when people ask that… No, we're not. We're just, I don't know, seeing each other."

"So that's just saying you're not fucking yet."

"Jesus…" Ben sighed in exasperation, "We're seeing where things go. If it goes that way, great, if not, well that wasn't the goal. We're just… together now."

"So, what, you're like falling for her or something?" Jeff scoffed.

Ben snickered and rolled his eyes, but didn't deny it, "I'm just saying I'm taking an interest, and feel like pursuing it to see what happens and so does she. You know, normal human shit."

Jeff pulled a face, "You pansy..."

"I'm a pansy because I'm a male interested in a female?" He arched an eyebrow, "Or is this jealousy talking, Jeffy-boy?"

"Shut up, you know what I mean."

"Not really," He smirked, then shrugged to pass off the idea, "Like I said, just a thought."

"Thoughts like that fuck you up in the head, bud. Leave it alone."

"Is that why you still have the Alice issue?"

Jeff pointed at him warningly, an acidic look in his eyes, "You don't know what you're talking about, man, shut the fuck up!"

Ben flashed his palms in an attempt at peace, counter acted by his cocky grin, "Looks like you're right, those thoughts do fuck you up in the head..."

Jeff attempted to throw a punch, but missed. Ben had already burst into laugher and slipped out of the kitchen door. Jeff growled and slumped back down in his seat. What did he know? He already admitted to not knowing what goes on in his head, why bother? What was the point? If Ben wanted to go and screw himself over with this newbie thing then let him. As for Alice, forget it. What was the point? It was all some messed up nonsense that he didn't want to think about. He had plenty of other stuff to think about. Like… Like his next job. Yeah. His next kill. He'd missed that…

He watched his knife for a moment, motionless on the table. It wasn't doing it for him this time. Normally he would have grabbed it and marched to the nearest Passive for a job but… not today. Instead, he reached over, sluggishly put it in his hoody pocket and got up. Who needs a job to go out? Who cares if he didn't kill. He just… needed out. Only for a little while at least. The graveyard maybe. That's where he usually ended up. He hadn't seen Liu in a while.

He hadn't even fully gotten out of his chair yet before he heard the door open. Great, Ben coming back for more of a 'pep talk'? He did not need that right now. He liked the guy and he was a god friend all things considered but Jeff just wasn't a talker. Let alone about messed up mind crap or whatever. He looked up, ready to open his mouth and say so. But he was stopped in his tracks. It definitely wasn't Ben at the door. Instead, leaning against the frame with a bored look in her eyes, was Alice. She had her black leather jacket on and her slightly heeled boots. Was she going somewhere?

"Ben said you wanted to see me?" She said bluntly.

If he had eyelids, he wouldn't have blinked. Instead his eyes narrowed, "Fucking Ben… No, I didn't."

"Well, if that's how it is," She turned on her heel, about to leave.

"Where're you going?" He asked before he could stop himself.

"Out."

"The club again?"

She smirked, stopping but not turning around, "Now look who's mentioning the club first… Hypocrite."

"I was just asking."

"I know." She sighed, turning to look at him, "I actually wasn't sure yet. I just… wanted out for a little while."

He shrugged, "Funny how damn quiet everything is now, right? Now it's all over."

"Not sure if that's a blessing or a curse," She admitted, "We're not being hunted anymore but now everything's going to be so routine."

"Boring."

"Uneventful."

"Shitty."

"Even this is getting repetitive," She held up a hand to stop him, but there was a slight curve to her lips. Not quite a smile, but close, "Where were you going?"

"The graveyard maybe." He shrugged, "Just seems the usual place to go."

She regarded him for a moment, studying him. It was all so strange, how easily she was starting to read him. Maybe once you'd seen someone lost to the Sickness once or twice, that barrier was gone. Which made her wonder just how easily he could read her. The thought was strange. She didn't shrug it off, but she did put it aside for now.

"Do you still… you know, blame yourself? For him."

He didn't need translation to know she was talking about his brother. His eyes narrowed, "Watch yourself, Alice…"

"That's a yes," She sighed, looking at him, "I'm not going to give you the it wasn't your fault talk, don't worry, or the move on one."

"Good, I've heard it. Now drop it."

"But I am going to say this," Alice hesitated, meeting his eyes and starting at him hard. She didn't know what was pushing her with this, but it had to be said, "I know how it feels, to kill someone you love. Yeah, we don't share an identical case but… I know. Look, listen to me if you want or don't, but I'm just saying. It sucks ass and you're not going to get over it that you could ever do something like that, but… you can't let it control you."

He didn't say anything. He just stared at her in a strange mixture of curiosity, confusion and anger.

At his silence, she continued, "Thinking about him all the time and what you did, that's your Sickness. You beat it like three times now when it mattered. Why can't you do the same thing here?"

"You're one to talk…" He muttered finally.

"Yeah I am, because no one else here is going to say it. The guy I killed… he's still my Sickness. But I'm beating it. Over and over. Now I actually feel like I can get rid of it. Not literally but… mentally. Maybe you can do the same."

"He was my brother. Not some guy controlling me."

She flinched, but swallowed it down, "That's why you need to do the same."

"I'm…" He trailed off, gritting his teeth. Damn it he wanted to hit her for saying these things. To shut her up and get the hell away from all of this. But he couldn't. He just stood there listening to her and not doing a damn thing. Anyone else said these things and he'd have his knife against their skin on no time. But… why was it do damn hard to do that to her? Maybe because in some part of his twisted mind he knew she was telling some kind of truth. He didn't look at her, pretending he was talking to himself instead, "I'm trying…"

"Try harder."

"How?"

"That's up to you." She shrugged a shoulder, "But… If it's any consolation, you're on the right track."

He didn't know how to respond to that, "This… conversation went weird very quickly."

"I thought that was normal for us," She smirked.

"Guess so," He huffed, trying to shove his mass of hair back and look at her, "How do you do it? Beat it?"

"Well since I broke his headstone the other week, I'm not sure. But we'll figure it out eventually."

"We?"

She stiffened, "You're right. This conversation has gotten weird."

They were silent for a long time, not moving or saying a damn thing. It wasn't necessarily awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either. It was like they were frozen in this in between state of wanting to be at ease with one another but not allowing themselves to be. They'd been at each others throats for so long. Now things were changing. They had been changing for a while. It was just an issue of trying to figure out what to do from here.

As usual, it was Alice who made the first move. She stepped closer to him, reaching out and touching her fingers to his. Not taking his hand, but just making some kind of contact, "Move it."

He tilted his head, fingers twitching against hers, "Where?"

"I'm going with you to the graveyard for a while. Then you're buying me a drink."

Jeff stopped for a moment, giving her a look, "I thought you didn't want me drinking?"

"Which is why you're buying them for me," She smirked.

He rolled his eyes, "You are so freaking confusing, you know that?"

"Yeah," She nodded, actually taking his hand, but giving it a tug to make him start moving before letting go, "Which is why you keep coming back to me."

Jeff knew that he should have been pissed off at that, but he wasn't. For some reason, this was actually making him feel a little better. Less bored for sure. But… he didn't know what. It was like when he went into her dressing room at the club when they were standing so close to one another. They were talking about what might have happened if he hadn't been drunk that night. How she'd wanted something normal. Normal human shit. Wow okay now he was starting to think like Ben. He almost hated himself for that. But… not entirely. Before he knew it, he was talking again.

"Hey… Uh, Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"Back at the club, before. You wanted normal human shit. Did uh, did you still want it?"

She blinked, giving him a quizzical look, "You're not drunk again are you?"

"I'm fucking sober," He huffed, "I was just wondering. Forget it."

He was about to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm, a cool smirk on her face. She wasn't patronizing him, she was just… curious, "You're less of an ass when you're sober."

"You're less of a bitch when you're drunk," He retorted, looking down at her.

"I know."

"Forget it… You said back then you didn't so-"

"I actually said 'not now'. Since, you know, the world was falling to shit around us all." She arched an eyebrow.

"So… I don't get it."

She smiled wryly, but not cruelly. She gave his arm a squeeze and leaned in and lightly brushed her lips against his neck. It wasn't a kiss and it wasn't passionate or even classically romantic. But it was a gesture all the same. One she laced with a message. By the way he tensed and looked down at her, he got it at last. She let him go, leading the way out of the kitchen, "Stay sober, and lighten up. Okay, asshole?"

His throat felt a little dry, and he couldn't help but eye her as she walked. He snapped himself out of it, rubbing his neck and following her, a twisted smirk on his face. But all in all, not threatening, "I make no promises, bitch."

* * *

Ben seemed pretty pleased with his handy work. Too bad he didn't get to see the end result but he had his own things to take care of. He carried the two sodas down the corridors until he got to the sleeping area. It was clear which door belonged to whose room. The one with chips denting outwards was Jeff's from the knife throwing, the one with the do not disturb sign was Alice, the list went on. He passed his own, which had a few singe marks from the occasional static mood swing… and went to the room next door. Trixie's, which was neat and had a few coloured smudges around the handle where she'd gotten paints or pencil shavings on her hands from drawing. He knocked. There was no answer, so he walked in. Hey if there was no one around to say 'no' then he could assume 'yes'.

The room was dark, just a little light in the corner near her bed. He couldn't call it a night light, more like a tiny lamp that was starting to dim. There were a stack of papers on her beside table and her desk, all the drawings she'd either been made to draw by her Passive ability, or ones that she'd drawn for fun. There close to her bed was the picture of her parents and brother she'd taken the time to draw. He smiled a little when he saw Trixie, sleeping soundly on her bed and curled up tight. She looked beat. It was good to see her getting some kind of rest. He popped the sodas on the side and made himself at home, laying down next to her and wrapping his arm around her middle so they were spooning.

She shivered slightly, then curled up so she was pressing her back closer against his chest. He was dead, so he wasn't able to sleep, but he wasn't complaining either. He lay there contentedly, resting his head on the pillow and waiting for her to wake up. In the end he was waiting for over half an hour. When she finally started to stir, he wasn't fully able to feel his arm. She blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes. Then her brow furrowed, confused at the strange feeling surrounding her. Not altogether uncomfortable, but unfamiliar. She attempted to roll, over, but was restricted. She turned her head, startling and letting in a gasp when she met his eyes.

"Ben you scared me…" She muttered, scowling but not moving away.

"Surprise," He snickered, smirking lightly at her, "Sleep well?"

"I did weirdly enough. Um… W-What are you doing here?" She asked shyly at having him so close.

He shrugged a shoulder, "Brought something to drink, you were sleeping, thought I'd stay. I did knock, before you say."

"Oh… right. Um, okay. Thank you."

"Is this okay?" He asked, resting his head against the crook of her neck.

She shivered, but nodded and settled down again against him, "Yeah, just wasn't expecting it."

He smiled, "How're you feeling?"

"Tired… A little numb, but… okay," She sighed, "It doesn't feel like any of it was real."

"It was but it's over. We're back in home secret home." He snickered.

She smiled, turning her head again to meet his eyes. Her cheeks flushed, but before she could stop herself she had leaned her head forward to press her lips to his for just a second. She wasn't sure if they were still at that point. After all that had happened with Zalgo and the adrenaline rush, she didn't know if it was just another game. But… she wanted to know. Best to just put it out there. To her relief, he rolled over her so he was laying on his other side and facing her, cupping her cheek to draw her in for another kiss. This one softer and lasted a little longer before they slowly parted.

"Hey…" He muttered softly.

"Hey," She smiled.

"You still want this then?"

She hunched her shoulders awkwardly, but smiled sheepishly and nodded, "Y-Yes… I do. Do um, do you?"

"Yeah," He nodded, nose brushing hers, "I do."

Trixie felt a warmth in her chest, smiling up at him. It was a huge weight off her shoulders. It was good to hear. She rest her head on her pillow, hesitating a moment before asking a question that had been worrying her for a while since they got back, "Are… Are you mad at me?"

"For what?"

"For standing up to Zalgo," She muttered, "When he tried to call Jack to him."

For a moment, he was silent, thinking it over. But steadily, his face relaxed into a little smile, "No… But I'll tell you one thing."

She looked cautious, "What's that?"

He smirked, putting his hands on her waist and shuffled closer, "Do something that dumb again and I may just shock you."

Before she could ask what that meant, she felt the electricity in his skin work through to his hands, giving her a tiny little set of static shocks on her waist that tickled her. She yelped in surprise and pushed him away, rubbing her sides with a sour look on her face that was obviously trying to hide a smile, "You're evil, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do." He grinned wryly, "You love it."

She flushed harder, hiding her face by pretending to adjust her shirt so it covered more of her. However, she couldn't help but wince when the fabric at her sleeve brushed against her wounded shoulder. It was a lot smaller now, but still tender and sore.

"Looks like I got some competition." Ben snickered.

"What do you mean?" She asked cautiously.

He reached out and traced his finger carefully over her brand on her shoulder. It was still covered in scabs and red blotches where it was still healing from Jane's assault. He smirked, "Well if this is the kinda hicky a girl can leave on you then I have a lot of work to catch up on…"

Her face reddened and she smacked his hand away lightly, "You do anything like this to me I'll send you into the afterlife myself."

"Don't worry," He tucked her hair back behind her ear, smiling down at her, "I'd never hurt ya."

She smiled shyly, tilting her head a little into his hand, "I know."

"Glad to hear it. But about those hicky's…"

"Oh hush," She muttered giving his chest a light shove, more embarrassed than annoyed.

"If you say so." He winked, "So… What do you want to do?"

She thought about it, pecking his cheek once more before shuffling closer to rest her head against him, "C-Can we just… lay here for a while? Like this?"

He smiled down at her, resting his arm around her and his head against her hair, "As long as you like."

* * *

Slender still had a lot of healing to do. Everyone did. But as he felt his strength start to return over time, he felt likewise to his Proxies. They had all been through hell and back many times, over and over they had struggled and had hope torn from them. Only for them to return, stronger and wiser than before. They'd lost and gained people along the way. The struggles hurtful and the victory almost bittersweet. But now, here they all were. Home, and strong and together. There had been things even he didn't foresee coming into bloom. Relationships, hope and friendship. It all sounded too good to be true and for all he knew, it could be.

But for now at least, everything was as it should be. It would take a long time before anyone was ready to pick up the routine again. But he didn't care. As long as they were safe, that was all he cared about. He wasn't going to deny that the loss of Jane still lay a burden on him. But he knew there was nothing he could do and Jane was in a better place now. She had found her own mind and took charge with it, saving them and herself. She was at peace. Of all the fates there could have been for her, he was glad she had that one. As for Zalgo, to think that he was gone for good left Slender feeling strange. On one hand, he was trilled that it ensured a safe place for his Proxy's and for Rochelle. But on the other, it was like the loss of a pinkie finger. You didn't need it, it wasn't necessary to survival and all in all it could have been good riddance, but you're aware of it missing and you still suffer with phantom sensory. They had once been friends and allies after all. He had felt this feeling the first time. But now… it had a finality to it. It really was over. He had to adjust to that feeling. He would in time. It just took some getting used to. But yes, he was glad that Zalgo was gone. He was an evil that this world did not need.

Now things could flourish. He and Rochelle were together. As were Shad and his Emily, Ben and Trixie, even Jeff and Alice were starting to trust one another in some way. Jack was on the road to recovery, mentally and physically. While Masky and Hoody resettled into their roles at the hideout just like old times. Toby could never change, but that was for the better. And Kate was getting her wish to be free but still do her part to help people. As for the others, things never changed, which didn't bother them one bit. This was the life they chose, and the life they liked to live. It was hard, and there were tough choices to make, but they never let it stop them from doing their job. To protect people.

As Slender let these comforts guide him back into health, he couldn't help but feel happy. Yes, this was the life they'd chosen, and he would protect them until they no longer wished to stay. But as of yet, no one left. They stayed with him. Loyal and happy in their own ways. Although Sickness was never gone, and rested in every human that walked the Earth, it wasn't as prominent as it once had been. Maybe it meant that mankind was on the road to a better path. They hoped so. But they weren't holding their breath. Sickness would always be there, if the human should choose to give into it. But likewise, strength also rested in every human. There's always a choice. And if strength banded together, maybe the Sickness would fade. But… who knows what the future holds. Slender held hope, at least. Hope for his team, hope for himself, and hope for the world. A big hope, but one he was happy to carry.

Tomorrow is a new start, and a new hope.

The End.

 **A/N:**

 **That my friends, as they say, is that. The end of a trilogy and the end of a story. I Hope you all enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Thank you all so much. You've given me so much support that I would never have completed the first story if it weren't for you guys. You've been amazing and given me much hope for future writing projects away from this site. It's been one hell of an adventure, one that I hope you loved as much as I did. Thank you.**

 **A special thank you to my good friend 'KisaSohmaCookie', who gave me many ideas and fun with these characters and is the star behind Kate's character. Thank you so much.**

 **It's been wonderful writing for you guys and I'll miss you. If you want to keep tabs on what I'm doing, visit my twitter ItsAScribbler or visit my blog AmyScribbler on wordpress UK. I'd love to hear from you all again. Thank you so much one and all, and I wish you all the best and a wonderful Christmas.**

 **Thank you, and goodbye for now.**

 **-x-**


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